Sensing, Simulating, and Storing the Future

Surgery saves lives — but at a significant environmental cost. SUSTAIN is a first-of-its-kind simulated surgical operating suite at Leeds, built to help the NHS cut carbon without cutting corners. From smarter instrument trays to asset tracking and behaviour change, SUSTAIN tests real innovations in a real-world environment — before they reach patients. Funded by DHSC and rooted in 150 years of surgical heritage, SUSTAIN is where the future of greener surgery gets built. Launching Summer 2026.

Robots are excellent at seeing the world, but terrible at feeling it. This talk shows how tactile sensing gives machines the feedback they need to grasp, adjust, and adapt. Together we'll get a forward‑looking glimpse at how touch will shape the next generation of robotics.

Certain magnets are stealth; they do not have any net magnetism, and are called ‘antiferromagnets’. This talk will explore these unusual materials, how the magnets are ordered, how this can lead to 'frustration' and how this can be resolved. This cutting-edge research could unlock a new generation of ultra-fast, energy-efficient computers — devices that run cooler, process information faster, and could transform everything from data storage to artificial intelligence.