Work Packages

The EMERGENCE network activities have been structured into five distinct work packages designed to achieve the network objectives across the lifetime of the project funding period, Feb 2022 - Jan 2025.

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Work Package 1
Understanding requirements to assess, self-manage and reduce frailty
Lead: Prof. Mark Hawley, University of Sheffield

Activities for achieving objective 1:

  • Feb - Apr 2022 : Work planning and ethics approval

  • May - Oct 2022 : Co-Production Workshops

  • Nov 2023 - Jul 2024 : Evaluation Workshops

Deliverables:

  • A set of use cases, personas and scenarios in a range of multimedia formats

  • A matrix of functional and non-functional requirements with traceability information

  • A formative evaluation of feasibility projects

Outcome

The establishment of an open access data repository of requirements, use cases and scenarios, capturing a broad range of contexts and reducing unecessary description, allowing other groups to build on this knowledge.

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An icon depicting a book with a simple robot design on the cover

Work Package 2
Co-creation of intelligent robotics solutions - Feasibility Studies
Lead: Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, Sheffield Hallam University

Activities for achieving objectives 2 and 3:

  • Feb - Apr 2022 : Establish a steering group of stakeholders

  • Aug 2022 - Jan 2023 : Co-creation Workshops

  • Aug 2022 - Oct 2024 : Support and evaluate feasibility projects

Deliverables:

  • An online Body of Knowledge to support person-focused development of healthcare robotic technology to tackle frailty in the community

  • An interactive web-based resource sharing lived experiences of end-users and stakeholders to inform future design, evaluation and development of innovative robotic solutions

Outcome

Encouragement of novel ideas for healthcare robotic solutions within living lab test beds to drive co-designed, innovative and multidisciplinary research leading to robotic services capable of transforming how frailty is managed in the community.

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Work Package 3
Defining safety, regulatory and ethical frameworks for integration
Lead: Prof. Farshid Amirabdollahian, University of Hertfordshire

Activities for achieving objective 4:

  • Feb 2022 - Jan 2023 : Conduct a review of existing frailty toolkits, implementation processes and literature

  • Feb 2023 - Jan 2024 : Define, develop and aggregate benchmarks, standards and regulatory processes.

  • Feb 2023 - Jan 2024 : Workshops for robotics researchers and companies

  • Nov 2023 - Jan 2025 : Refine ethical frameworks for the use and deployment of assistive robots with older adults

Deliverables:

  • An online repository providing ethical guidance and regulatory checklists

Outcome

Understanding and definition of the safety, ethical and regulatory requirements needed to ensure that any healthcare robotic solutions that are developed can be easily deployed and integrated as part of optimal frailty care packages.

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Work Package 4
Future care workforce skills for integration of healthcare robotics into care
Lead: Prof. Mauro Dragone, Heriot-Watt University

Activities for achieving objective 5:

  • Nov 2022 - Jan 2024 : Co-production Workshops

  • Feb 2024 - Jan 2025 : Interactive sessions for companies developing or integrating assitive robotic solutions

Deliverables:

  • A set of online resources with CPD materials for health and social care staff

Outcome

Ensure that the future care workforce have the skills to support and integrate assistive robot solutions into exisiting or adapted frailty care pathways.

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Work Package 5
Network activity dissemination and Knowledge Exchange
Lead: Prof. Praminda Caleb-Solly, University of Nottingham

Activities for achieving objective 6:

  • Feb 2022 - Jan 2025 : Develop and maintain an interactive accessible multimedia website and social media presence

  • May - Oct 2022 : Co-creation Workshops

  • Aug 2022 - Jan 2025 : Dissemination or network activities

  • May 2024 - Jan 2025 : Co-author white paper on robotics for frailty management

Deliverables:

  • EMERGENCE network website

  • White paper on the use of robotics for frailty

Outcome

Increased understanding and acceptance of the potential of healthcare robotics to address frailty, ensuring there is increased awarenesss of best practice for technology-enabled frailty management and design of person-centric robotics solutions.

Join the EMERGENCE Network

Email emergence@nottingham.ac.uk for more information or click below to join the network

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