The VIVO Hub

Research Theme and Focus

  • Mobility Restoration
    • Development of wearable systems to assist and restore sit-to-stand transitions, walking, and standing functions
  • Smart Materials & On-Body Technologies
    • Use of bio-symbiotic materials for real-time monitoring and actuation to support muscle and vascular functions
  • Digital Health & Autonomy
    • Combining remote monitoring, AI-driven decision-making, and autonomous intervention for user-guided health management
  • Human-Machine Interaction & Co-Design
    • Engaging users and stakeholders directly in the design process to ensure solutions are usable, acceptable, and effective

Summary and Overview

At the heart of the VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living is a simple but powerful idea: ageing and disability shouldn’t mean giving up independence. Whether it's getting up from a chair without dizziness, walking confidently outdoors, or playing with a great-grandchild, we believe everyone deserves the freedom to live life on their own terms. 

The VIVO Hub is pioneering a new approach to ageing and assisted living by fusing advanced robotic and digital healthcare technologies into everyday life. From discreet, wearable robotic suits that help users stand, move, and stay balanced, to home sensors that communicate with the body in real time, our innovations are designed not just to treat symptoms, but to restore confidence, autonomy, and joy. 

This integrated, user-guided platform brings together physical support, digital monitoring, and mental wellness tools which are all tailored through co-design with real users. These wearable and bio-symbiotic solutions aim to reduce the risks of falls, manage secondary health conditions, and promote active, independent lifestyles for longer. 

We are building more than technology – we are building trust, dignity, and possibility. With a world-class team of engineers, clinicians, and researchers, the VIVO Hub is advancing toward clinical trials and future commercialization, offering real hope to individuals and families navigating the challenges of ageing and disability. 

Our approach ensures deep integration of real-user voices and co-design throughout development, ensuring real-world readiness for clinical trials and future commercialization. To achieve our vision, we have brought together the following leading experts and clinical partners:

Leading Experts

  • Arjan Buis, University of Strathclyde
  • Carlos Cifuentes, University of the West of England
  • Telmo de Menezes e Silva Filho, University of Bristol
  • Dario Farina, Imperial College London
  • Charl FJ Faul, University of Bristol
  • Emily Henderson, University of Bristol
  • Jonathan Rossiter, University of Bristol
  • Wenhui Song, University College London

Clinical Partners

  • Smart surgical materials
  • Biomechanics
  • Orthotics
  • Digital health
  • Human-machine interaction

Together, and with key industrial and social care partners, we will deliver the foundational technologies and first-stage proof-of-concept of the VIVO Hub assistive robotics within the five years of this transformative project.