Leuchie > Innovation > Partnerships

Partnerships

Leuchie’s Centre for Enabling Technology is working with academia, NHS and industry. Through research networks like ENRICH (Research in Care Homes) we are constantly finding out about new research opportunities.

See a few examples of our collaborations so far below.

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The National Robotarium
University of Edinburgh

FEATHER project: University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and Leuchie

The FEATHER project has the vision to enable wellbeing and prevent death by spotting and identifying early indicators of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

University of Edinburgh and the National Robotarium at Heriot Watt are working together to develop a user-centred system for early recognition of UTIs, and Leuchie has helped with co-design.

In July 2023, several of our guests, care and nursing staff took part in a focus group, which was the first phase of user-centred design and in 2024 guests took part in the robot embodiment selection and usability evaluation of the human-robot interaction.

Heriot-Watt University and Leuchie

A spin out from the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, Robobrico are developing a service-robot and a few of Leuchie's guests gave input to the requirements specification in 2022.  The robot looks to fill a gap in the health and social care assistive technology market, by providing an affordable and highly customisable platform catered to customer needs through co-design.

Heriot Watt University
sky

SKY and Leuchie

We're delighted to begin a pilot programme with Sky where their engineers provide help for our guests at home.  This programme has helped 8 of our guests so far with positive reviews from guests and engineers,  and has been the missing link in getting technology set up and ongoing training provided when our guests return home.

SKY have been inspiring to work with and have partnered with Leuchie in 3 key ways:

  • Ongoing co-design workshops with our guests at Leuchie, trialling Sky technology to make it more inclusive.
  • Sky engineers are helping our guests with technology in their homes, initially in central belt of Scotland, with any technology issues (not SKY technology related)
  • They donated useful items to Leuchie such as SMART board which has already been used for multiple presentations, and chairs for our meeting room

Get involved

We are keen to collaborate with relevant technology-related (mostly!) developments, particularly where our guests can influence the design of products they can benefit from.  We are also initiating our own Leuchie guest research group where we come up with research ideas, co-design with interested guests, and approach partners to develop solutions.

If you have any ideas for us, or you would like us to be part of your co-design, please email us at CET@leuchie.org.uk.