Robots in the real world
Author: Dr Marcela Munera, Associate Professor in Assistive Robotics
I am a bioengineer by background. My PhD is in biomechanics – how the human body moves and performs. Then, seven or so years ago, I became interested in robotics and humanoids, and how they can help real people in their daily lives.
Now my work is centred on developing robots and robotics that can help people with disabilities or any other kind of condition or frailty. At the Robotics in Engineering and Computing for Healthcare (REACH) research centre, we're exploring how robotics can be used for assistance and rehabilitation. To help people get back to doing what they used to be able to do.
"I’m excited by taking robots into the real world. We've already seen some amazing results, for example with children. We also believe robotics can play an important role in social care."
Dr Marcela Munera Associate Professor in Assistive Robotics
Simple beats complex every time
I am passionate about making things simple, not overcomplicated or over-engineered. The simpler we can make these robotic applications, the faster we can get them into real-world clinical use.
That means we can start helping people sooner rather than later. That's important to me. It’s not about doing things for us, as researchers or academics. It's about helping individuals to do things for themselves. If you're getting older, you've had a stroke or you've lost a limb, how can robotics help you regain your independence and confidence?
Your friendly robot reminder
We're exploring many kinds of robotics too. For example, we're looking at how we can use robotics in therapy for physical or mental health conditions. That includes social robots, such as humanoid robots that can give feedback. Say you're doing rehab exercises. Your robot can tell you if you're doing them well or remind you to exercise.
That involves AI and robotics that can take in information from their surroundings and make decisions based on it.
Helping humans, not replacing them
I'm excited by putting robots into real life. We've already seen some amazing results with children, for example. Social care is also an area where we believe robotics can play an important role. We don't have enough carers right now, and many are experiencing fatigue and burnout or moving to other, better-paid sectors.
We'll never replace our carers with robots, but they could help them to do their jobs better and help people who need care to stay in their own homes for longer and live more independently.
This is why I have a user-centred approach. We start with what the user needs, not what we want to do. We begin every project with something called contextual inquiry. That basically means: go and see. Find out. Discover. Only then can we develop robotics to aid people. And that's always our goal.
Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals
UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. This research aligns with the following goals:
