University of the West of England and Service Robotics Limited KTP 24_25 R1

A care robot that currently follows simple commands will learn to predict what a person needs before they ask for it. This project tackles a concrete crisis: the UK social care workforce is under immense strain, with carers stretched thin and many care recipients left without timely support. The technology in question—assistive robots from Service Robotics Limited—can already perform basic tasks, but they cannot yet monitor a person’s condition remotely or anticipate when help is needed. That gap means carers must constantly check in, wasting time on routine visits while missing early warning signs of deterioration. If the research succeeds, these robots will use sensor data to spot patterns—a person moving less than usual, skipping meals, or failing to take medication—and alert a carer only when intervention is actually required. This would reduce the number of unnecessary home visits, cut the administrative burden on care staff, and give recipients more independence. It also addresses digital exclusion: the system is designed for people who cannot or will not use smartphones or computers. The practical outcome is a care system that runs more efficiently, with fewer demands on an already exhausted workforce, without sacrificing quality of support.