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Augmented reality (AR) and physiological computing (PC) represent computing paradigms for wearable technology. Both forms may be combined to deliver Adaptive AR (A2R) where changes in psychophysiology are used to adapt digital artifacts in real-time. A number of art exhibits were created that represented A2R and were presented to the public as part of the Turning FACT Inside Out show in Liverpool. The impact of this research is evidenced by: (a) engaging the public with emerging technology, (b) influencing the strategy of an arts organisation, and (c) informing the practice of artists.
In a series of training studies on children between the ages of 5 and 12 years, a research team at the Department of Psychology successfully demonstrated that substantial improvements in roadside decision-making and behaviour can be achieved in children as young as 5 years. Based on their findings, the team developed and evaluated a training intervention (Kerbcraft) aimed at improving children's pedestrian skills through practical roadside activities which was formally adopted by the UK government. Since 2008, the majority of 5-7 year old children in the UK have received formal pedestrian skills training using Kerbcraft either in its full or adapted form. Kerbcraft now plays a key role in the UK Government's road safety strategy and has been cited as an example of best practice by the World Health Organisation and safety agencies across Europe, the US, Australia and in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh.
Reduction of unpleasant ambient noise during MRI has been enabled through innovative engineering solutions developed at the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research (MRC IHR). Intellectual property was licensed to Optoacoustics Ltd and the resulting OptoActive™ active noise-cancelling headphones for MRI are the only one of their type commercially available, enabling free conversation between patients and clinicians. The product was formally launched in September 2012 and has worldwide sales including in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Research conducted by the University of Liverpool (UoL) has convincingly shown that there are strong links between the exposure of children to food advertising, brand recognition and being overweight or obese. This work consistently informs the policies of regulators and health agencies, nationally and internationally. In this specific example, work by Halford and Boyland to characterize the effects of food advertising on children's diet, food preferences, intake and body weight has had a direct effect on UK and overseas policy development. Notably this includes informing WHO guidelines to national governments on introducing effective regulatory frameworks and for monitoring their effectiveness.
Starting from a mechanism-based hypothesis, Alastair Compston and colleagues in Cambridge have led the academic development of Alemtuzumab as a highly effective therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis through Phase 1, 2 and two Phase 3 trials (1991-2012). The impacts to date are demonstration of the importance of the therapeutic `window of opportunity' in treating multiple sclerosis; a product licence in the European Union (September 2013) for the commonest potentially disabling neurological disease of young adults; expansion of the work-force in industry to develop and market this initiative; and an estimated several-fold increase in revenue to the University of Cambridge (and other beneficiaries) from total royalties of £18.6M from 1997 to date.
Alternatives to acute admission in mental health are crucial, not least because of the high cost of inpatient care. We have carried out a major research programme that includes the only randomised controlled evaluation of crisis resolution teams and the only major UK study of crisis houses, which are community-based, residential alternatives to hospital admission. This programme demonstrated the efficacy of community treatment and has significantly influenced decision making at a local and national policy level, including commissioning guidance and three sets of NICE guidelines. This has contributed to changes in the way acute services for severely mentally ill adults are configured in the NHS, and internationally.
Eating disorders affect 5-10% of young people and in many cases persist into adulthood. At their most severe they can evoke intense emotional responses from those closest to the person. King's College London (KCL) research established that the response from others, combined with personal factors and beliefs, were key maintaining factors in the disorder. As a result, KCL researchers developed self-help materials that reduced distress and improved carers' ability to manage the person they were helping. This intervention programme has been adapted into a workshop, a self- help book, a DVD and a clinical handbook. The programme has been adopted by two of the largest UK eating disorder charities (BEAT and SUCCEED) and is recommended by the USA-based international charity FEAST and forms the basis of local NHS and international services including in the USA and Australia.
This case study describes two types of impact. First, awareness of a health benefit has been raised in the treatment of people with diabetes, second, people with diabetes' attitudes to the treatment of diabetes has changed. These impacts were achieved in collaboration with health professionals working for two NHS trusts (Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and Sussex Community NHS Trust) through the development of new educational materials to increase people with diabetes' awareness of diabetes and diabetes self-care behaviour.
Researchers at the University of Southampton have informed aviation security policies and training procedures of soldiers in the USA and UK. The research has applied principles from vision science to the practical field of contemporary security, specifically the screening of airport baggage for weapons and explosives, and the search for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) embedded in the environment in combat theatres such as Afghanistan. Findings have contributed to international airport security and to vital training for troops in combat situations. They have also been widely used to inform the public about the latest advances in security procedures.
An artificial cervical joint, designed by Mr Steven Gill, honorary Chair in the University of Bristol and consultant in Neurosurgery at Frenchay Hospital, is widely used for the treatment of degenerative cervical disc disease. Patients who have received the device have retained neck mobility and have experienced less neck pain and better neurological function than patients who have undergone conventional treatment involving fusion of the vertebrae. The device has also yielded substantial long-term savings as far fewer patients require secondary surgery. Gill's device was the first artificial cervical joint approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in 2007. In early 2008, the global medical technology company Medtronic launched the device commercially in the US. The device is now used in 60 countries and has so far generated more than $137 million in sales.