Future Worlds: Bringing Technologies To You

Prosthetics - high-tech industry, right? Paralympic golds, neuro-controlled hands at the cutting edge of science.
Yet this is not the clinical reality. The prosthetic socket is unique to each individual but takes 9 fittings to achieve a comfortable fit. Poor fit leads to pain and may even prevent the person from walking.
Join entrepreneurial engineer, Joshua Steer, as he showcases how technology developed in his PhD is being commercialised through Radii Devices, a University spinout who are using software to improve prosthetic limb design and increase quality of life for amputees.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming very common; we've all heard of self-driving cars and smart assistants like Amazon’s Alexa. Dylan is the founder of a startup that helps everyone be better gift givers. His startup, BOON, has built a website that uses AI to analyse each gift recipient’s personality and select the most compelling presents from across the internet. In his talk, he'll tell you the story of BOON so far. He'll explain why he started the company, why this application of AI is so exciting, and what his vision is. Check out BOON at www.boon.gifts.

Ureteral stenting is a critical component in the treatment of kidney stone diseases, prostatic and bladder cancer, aiding the healing process and reducing the risk of complications following surgery. A urinary stent is a thin and flexible tube that is used by clinicians to allow for temporary fluid drainage due to urinary obstructions. Despite the advantages, more than 80% of stents fail, impacting negatively patients' quality of life and significantly increasing costs for NHS.
We have invented a novel stent design that reduces the infection rate by over 90%.

Nikhil Mistry recently finished his PhD in underwater acoustics and now works as an Acoustical Consultant. Gas bubbles underwater are powerful scatterers and absorbers of sound. Such powerful scattering and absorption of sonar, by bubbles, can hinder sonar navigation and detection. His research concerned the study of bubble populations in the ocean, their relationship with sound and the development of sonar techniques inspired by marine mammals.
Nikhil is also a passionate science communicator and managed Southampton’s Bright Club, turning researchers into comedians.