An Edinburgh med-tech company has received almost half a million pounds in UK Government funding to develop an assistive robotic glove for stroke patients.
Startup Bioiberty, based at the National Robotarium at Heriot Watt University, will receive £435,000 in funding from Innovate UK in order to bring the product to market
The glove, which allows patients to open and close their hands, features built-in sensors that allow it to vary levels of resistance to tailor rehabilitation exercises to the user.
The funding will support the development of the machine learning and data collection elements of the product.
Conan Bradley, co-founder at Bioliberty, said: “Bioliberty is on the verge of a revolutionary leap in rehabilitation technology.
“Our upcoming trials for our soft robotic glove are set to ignite the United States, with top rehab clinics eagerly in discussions.
“With this newfound funding, we’re poised to accelerate trials and expedite our market launch.
“But we’re not stopping at the U.S.; the UK beckons, with a significant demand for innovative rehabilitation solutions amidst the latest NICE guidelines.
“Having access to the National Robotarium’s state-of-the-art office and lab facilities, including its ecosystem of collaborators, industry experts and academic teams, has been vital in helping us to develop our product.”
The National Robotarium works with partners around the globe to define, develop and resolve industry challenges through the application of robotics and AI.
The centre is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government.
The initiative aims to turn the capital into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
Lisa Farrell, business development manager at the National Robotarium, said: “With an ageing population, demand for robotic solutions to assist in the rehabilitation of those who’ve experienced a stroke will be in great demand.
“Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide1, so Bioliberty’s product is addressing a global need, which is one of the core missions of the National Robotarium.
“The National Robotarium’s mission is to develop robotic and AI solutions which make people safer, healthier and more productive and working with tenant companies, we want to provide a catalyst for entrepreneurship, and deliver economic and societal benefits.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord added: “This pioneering technology has the potential to become a vital tool for health professionals to help improve stroke patients’ care during their rehabilitation process.
“The UK Government has invested £21 million in the National Robotarium helping foster world-leading research and support high quality jobs, investment and growth, as part of our more than £2.7 billion investment to level up across Scotland.”
