All Projects

Fit-for-purpose, affordable body-powered prostheses is designing upper limb prostheses that are both low cost and fit for their purpose and circumstance. The project is funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Challenges Research Fund.
 

CROWDBOT will enable mobile robots to navigate autonomously and assist humans in crowded areas, rather than simply stopping when the going gets tough.

A research project to understand how and when manual wheelchair users need and use power assistance and to determine if fuel cell technology is suitable for the power requirements of assistive technology, specifically wheelchairs.

The aim of this project to build new low-cost approaches to more reliable mental wellbeing measurements using mobile sensing technology, supporting unconstrained and potentially a variety of everyday situations.

On the 22nd and 23rd of August 2019 several members of GDI Hub were invited to Geneva to take part in the consultation for the Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT) organized by the WHO. The scope of the consultation was to bring together academics, practitioners, policy makers, and assistive technology users from different countries in the world to help shape the content for the Global Report on Assistive Technology that will be published by 2021.

GDI Hub provide inclusive design advice to Asian Development Bank (ADB), aiming to address accessible tourism in Georgia

In July 2018, the GDI Hub team were invited to Tokyo by the British Embassy and British Council to share our knowledge and experience from the London 2012 Paralympic Games and subsequent Paralympic Legacy programme.

We're looking for the next generation of pioneers in this groundbreaking field.

The Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub partners with UCL and other academic institutions to offer interdisciplinary PhD projects that develop novel assistive technologies, advancing disability innovation.

Running is not only about distance or speed but more a dynamic experiential journey in which emotions and subjective feelings play vital roles in constructing the runners’ experience. This research investigates how technology could support runners with the capturing and sharing of such experiential aspects of running experience beyond the running performance that current mainstream technologies provide.
 

PhD student Kate Burton​ is conducting research on using 3D imaging and printing from microscopic images to provide tactile representations for visually impaired people. The aim is to take the world seen through a microscope and make it accessible to those with visual impairments​ using tactile 3D printed models​.

This PhD project by Roxana Ramirez Herrera at UCL aims to improve urban accessibility for manual wheelchair users. It explores how sensor technology and computing can better measure and present the real difficulty of pedestrian routes, going beyond basic metrics like ramp counts. Through co-design workshops, the project seeks to help users plan easier journeys and guide urban planners in identifying and addressing accessibility issues.

Research and assistive technology for blind and partially sighted people often focuses on built environment access, or helping people navigate from one place to another. Yet there is little information or assistance in relation to open spaces and free leisure experiences individuals might want to have. PhD student Maryam Bandukda has developed a framework and a digital platform to help solve this problem.

In our ageing world, assistive technology (AT) needs will increase. Yet there is little understanding about how and when access to AT will change as populations get older. Jamie Danemayer is a PhD student, co-supervised by UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who is working to maximise sparse data in this field and build a model that will forecast future AT needs.

Wearable technology that can take various physiological measurements from the human body is well established. However, for long term use this technology can be obtrusive, it can give inaccurate readings, and it is not suitable for use by people with certain disabilities. PhD student Jitesh Joshi is exploring and improving a contactless way of measuring physiological signals that will help to solve these issues.

With the escalating digitisation of the world around us, touchscreens are increasingly replacing buttons and other functional devices that are easy to feel. But touchscreens are not accessible for visually impaired people. PhD student Zak Morgan is measuring ultrasound waves, which will eventually feed into improving technologies that rely on touch.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that causes uncontrollable muscle spasms. This is an under-researched area of medicine, and dystonia patients respond to different treatments to varying degrees. PhD student Andreas Polydorides is exploring how virtual reality (VR) might be able to help dystonia patients.

Searching for information online is a daily activity for many people. Simultaneously, there is a growing need for assistive technology (AT), and this need is predicted to be rising significantly across the world. Yet little is known about how people are searching for information about AT, and what information they are looking for. PhD student Wen (Frances) Mo is exploring this topic, to understand how the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) could help.

Policymakers and decision makers need access to good quality information about assistive technology (AT) in order to set policies and strategies in this field. Yet information about AT is often found in disparate locations, and it’s not always easy to find. PhD student Sahan Bulathwela is developing an intelligent insights portal to make it easier to retrieve key information about AT.

Gathering data about people with disabilities and assistive technology (AT) needs is a resource intensive process. In the developing world, this is often a manual and paper-based exercise due to constraints with internet access and technology. PhD student Sahan Bulathwela is developing a mobile based survey collection tool that will improve efficiency and data protection, while collecting key information about AT.

This research explores affordable tactile displays for blind learners, featuring Tacilia and Toodleoo, to enhance access to STEAM education through inclusive design.

A unique space for accelerating success, the Snowdon Disabled Leaders Network brings together exceptional disabled leaders to engage, build a community and share learnings.

i2i was a three-year programme focused on technological initiatives that directly improve access to paid private sector work for people with disabilities in Kenya and Bangladesh.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were hosted at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) with the view of creating a dynamic new heart of east London. The park was designed to continue the legacy of the Paralympic Games and to create a diverse and inclusive space for all. 
 

Our project contributes to this vision by (i) engaging the disabled community of east London in a conversation about their experiences and perceptions of the QEOP and then (ii) co-creating a multisensory representation of the experience of blind people as a reminder of diversity and inclusion at the park.

Global logistics have been compromised by lockdowns and border controls across Africa and other low to middle-income countries (LMICs), leaving many businesses and citizens without key parts of their supply chain. This condition has exposed the rigid, inflexible state of production in many settings, demonstrating the need for locally resilient, flexible production ecosystems. LPLS is working to develop broader, restorative, and agile supply systems, while providing people with the life-saving health and community resources they need to face current restrictions.

This current work looks to develop these capabilities in soft material technology, with: the development of a printable nanocomposite stretch sensor system; a low-cost digital method for casting bespoke prosthetic liners; a liner with an embedded stretch sensor for growth / volume tracking; a model liner with an embedded active cooling system.

The UK Aid-funded AT2030 programme tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all. Operational in 40+ countries and working with more than 70 global delivery partners, AT2030 has reached 64 million people to date.

AT2030 creates deep community leadership and engagement to generate new evidence & insights, answering critical research questions and developing foundational methodologies to address intersectional challenges and research and evidence gaps. From incubating future tech inspired solutions to venture acceleration, AT2030 brings effective solutions to market - testing new mechanisms and ambitious scaling parthways - while strengthen systems to make inclusion a reality.

The Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme, led by GDI Hub, recognises that the built environment, the world where we live, dictates our ability to use the AT we need. Access to the built environment is a fundamental human right, protected by the UN CRPD. However, the world we have designed and built presents a multitude of barriers and challenges for many, including persons with disabilities.

Para sport is a powerful catalyst for shifting perceptions of disability and promoting inclusion. Yet in many regions, especially across Sub-Saharan Africa, the visibility of Para athletes and the broader understanding of disability rights remain limited. The Para Sport Against Stigma (PSAS) project addresses this challenge head-on by integrating community-led storytelling, inclusive broadcasting, and Para athlete development to dismantle stigma and unlock pathways to assistive technology (AT) adoption.

Our work, in partnership with ATscale, Google, and local organisations in Kenya, India, and Brazil, builds on world-class research and deep community collaboration. Together, we’re exploring how mobile devices can support independence, learning, communication, and inclusion for people with disabilities.

A collaborative initiative by Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa and the Global Disability Innovation Hub is empowering Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Kenya to become stronger advocates and leaders. Through tailored training in advocacy, digital skills, leadership, and organisational development, the programme is enhancing OPDs’ ability to influence policy, strengthen internal capacity, and drive disability-inclusive change.

GDI Hub Accelerate is building a global pipeline for inclusive innovation, supporting assistive technology start-ups from idea to scale through research, accelerators, and consultancy in Africa, Asia, and beyond.

This project is investigating the potential to strengthen local systems of AT provision and innovation to address gaps in service. Where could more localised product and service innovation complement global supply chains to unlock more sustainable and resilient AT ecosystems ? We believe there is an opportunity to create better connections between the AT community and local manufacturers, with both newer digital and traditional fabrication expertise to enable innovation and better support for AT users beyond initial provision.

Researchers from the Development Planning Unit at UCL, along with Leonard Cheshire, are working with the GDI Hub to undertake an exciting programme working with communities living in conditions of informality (often referred to as slums) in Freetown, Sierra Leone and Banjarmasin, Indonesia.

There is huge potential for mobile technology to improve blind and partially sighted people's experience of parks and open spaces and enable them to share these experiences with others. We are creating an accessible crowdsourced mapping system for BPSP to contribute their experience of visiting a park or open space and share these experiences in the forms of textual information, photos, sound bites, and videos to enable other people to enjoy these experiences anywhere in the world.

Participatory case studies on inclusive design and accessibility in cities. Creating enabling environments and infrastructure for assistive technology users through inclusive design.

The aim of the network proposal was to raise awareness within the communities of Southern Africa of the value of their cultural heritage and provide insights into how these may be expressed through inclusive crafts, leading to sustainable economic development.

This project searches and collates population-level data on the need and coverage for assistive technology, in the forms of scoping and systematic reviews, as well as a publicly accessible data repository.

Building knowledge and capacity around disability inclusion, inclusive design, and assistive technology with the ADB and among ADB Developing Member Countries (DMCs)

In Nepal, we aim to bring together local and global expertise working in the AT sector to identify routes that could unlock local innovation, and improve current gaps in service, such as repair which is often under-supported and a limiting factor in the impact of provision, contributing to high abandonment rates in low resource settings.

The Enabling Fridays Community Nepal want to bring together local and global expertise working in the AT sector to identify routes that would unlock local innovation, and improve current gaps in service.

Partnering with the World Bank, GDI Hub researched and authored the ICT landscape review, exploring the use of ICT in improving the educational participation and outcomes of children with disabilities.

The first stage sparks community-led disability innovation by turning unmet needs into opportunities through early support and co-design.

Partnering with UCL and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the GDI Hub hosted the Enable Makeathon 2.0 in London. Five teams were selected to come to London to further develop their disability innovation ideas into new products and services over the course of a 16-day intensive ‘bootcamp’.

The second level of innovation ecosystems, catering local-to-regional entrepreneurs.

Final top level for national-to-international ventures, taking innovations to scale

The AT Impact Fund was established to better enable frontier technology solutions to reach people with disabilities in Africa, and to test business models that are most likely to succeed. Assistive Technology Impact Fund is operationalised as a collaboration between GDI Hub, Brink, and Catalyst Fund, providing deep expertise in AT, innovation and venture-building in Africa respectively.

Measuring the impact of AT on the lives of people with disabilities.

Innovation Action is a collaborative initiative, launched by a consortium of partners brought together by innovation catalyst Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), led by UCL Engineering and funded by UK Aid through the Frontier Technologies Hub and AT2030 programmes Our purpose is to bring people together to innovate on global challenges. We provide a space to enable people from all over the world to identify challenges and collaborate on solutions to help address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

There are various reasons why people with disabilities have not always been able to share their experiences or advocate for themselves and their communities. Postdoctoral researcher Maryam Bandukda is working with communities across the world to build skills and opportunities for disabled people to meaningfully engage on the subjects that matter to them.

Innovation is happening across the world in all fields, and developing solutions for people with disabilities is a compelling area to innovate in. Yet in many cases, the intended users of new innovations are not meaningfully involved in the design process. Postdoctoral researcher Tigmanshu Bhatnagar is working on a programme of activity to make user centred design a central part of assistive technology innovation.

Prosthetic liners sit in between the prosthetic device and the stump of amputees or people with congenital limb difference. They make a profound difference to the comfort of using prosthetics, but liners often do not account for differences in stump shapes, or growth, particularly in children. Research fellow Dr Ben Oldfrey has created sensor skins that can help to create more comfortable and bespoke solutions to prosthetic liners.

Building stronger data systems to inform policy, guide investment, and improve access to assistive technology through collaborative research and innovation.

Assistive technology (AT) can improve lives, but only if the surrounding environment enables its effective use. In particular, cities and buildings need to be accessible and inclusive, as this helps to create an enabling environment for disabled people. GDI Hub Co-founder and Director of Inclusive Design, Iain McKinnon, is leading research on inclusive design in cities across the developing world.