Nottingham Trent University and Trelleborg Nottingham Limited KTP 24_25 R4

A mattress that monitors a patient's body and responds in real time could replace the current system of manual checks and reactive care. Hospitals and care homes rely on nurses to manually turn patients or check for pressure ulcers, a process that is labour-intensive and often reactive rather than preventative. This project aims to embed sensors and smart materials directly into a mattress, creating a system that can detect changes in a patient's position, pressure points, or movement patterns without human intervention. The goal is to alert staff to potential problems—such as the early stages of a pressure sore—before they become serious, and to reduce the need for frequent physical checks. If successful, the SMART mattress could cut the number of medical interventions required for bed-bound patients, lower the incidence of hospital-acquired injuries, and free up nursing time for other care tasks. For Trelleborg, the company involved, it would also establish a foothold in the smart fabrics market, a growing sector with applications beyond healthcare—such as in automotive seating or industrial safety. The research is applied and commercially focused, with a clear pathway to a tangible product.