Healthcare sensor platform scoops World Technology Award

An interdisciplinary research network, supported by expertise from the University of Southampton, has been recognised with a World Technology Award for its work developing sensor technologies to manage long term health conditions.

SPHERE - a Sensor Platform for HEalthcare in a Residential Environment – brings together researchers from the universities of Southampton, Bristol and Reading to build a picture of how we live in our homes to identify medical or well-being issues.

The project was celebrated by the World Technology Network with an award in the Health and Medicine category at a Los Angeles ceremony on Thursday, 8 December.

The University of Southampton is contributing research to the project in the areas of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Health Sciences.

Professor Steve Beeby, Electronics and Computer Science Lead for the project, said: “As the UK is faced with a rise of long term health issues and healthcare costs, it is imperative that we use new technologies to answer these problems. We are working closely with clinical researchers in the Faculty of Health Sciences, led by Professor Ashburn, as well as partners at Bristol and Reading; it is fantastic to see this interdisciplinary research being rewarded with an international honour.”

SPHERE has received £15m of investment to date, including a £12m grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The project involves a community of close to 100 researchers working with clinicians, engineers, designers and social care professionals as well as members of the public to develop new technologies. Sensor networks could provide help in outputs including the characterisation of sedentary behaviour, the correlations between factors such as diet and sleep, and the analysis of eating behaviours.

The World Technology Awards are presented each year to individuals & organizations - outstanding innovators from each sector within the technology arena, conducting innovative and impactful work with the greatest likely long-term significance in the fields of science, technology & other related disciplines.