Bath team uses ‘mind control’ to win international athletics competition
Tech developed at Bath has enabled a cybathlete with spinal injuries to control a computer using brainwaves alone and win the global CYBATHLON Challenge.
Bath Institute for the Augmented Human
We are a diverse community who develop and deploy technology to enhance and improve the physical and cognitive abilities of individuals.
Who we are
We are a diverse community of researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and educators using technology to enhance and improve the physical and cognitive abilities of individuals. We believe in a holistic ecosystem for the development and deployment of human augmentation that considers the technological, ethical, societal, moral, and regulatory aspects.
In the spotlight
Read the latest research highlights from the institute
Glove and armband device that gives ‘sense of touch’ haptic feedback to amputees to be trialled
Vibrotactile feedback for upper limb prostheses to be tested and refined with the users through wireless updates
New app launched by University of Bath graduates revolutionises safety for women walking alone
Epowar smartwatch app automatically sends alerts in an attack, solving problem of safety products that need to be physically activated
Assistive tech project to enhance prosthetic sockets and speed-up rehabilitation for amputees
An inspirational project led by our Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Health will get underway to improve support for amputees in need of prosthesis.
Revolutionary ‘EarSwitch’ project to be scaled up with new funding
New funding from NIHR will help to progress ‘EarSwitch’ – the device that uses a hidden ear muscle to allow people with neurological conditions to communicate.
Pioneering EEG test could dramatically increase early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s
A two-minute passive-test that measures people’s brain waves in response to a series of images, 'Fastball EEG', could help expand early dementia diagnosis.
Understanding human augmentation
Human augmentation uses science and technology to enhance physical and cognitive performance – and it has the potential to transform every aspect of our lives. It can enable us to surpass our biological limitations, improve health and wellbeing, and extend our lifespans.
Increasingly, we’re using cutting-edge technology to keep us healthy and help us perform better. From neurotechnology headsets that can translate brain activity into communication, to super-strength wearable exoskeletons, there are countless ways intelligent machines can make a difference.
Innovation in the field of human augmentation is developing at a rapid rate, and the opportunities to bring together new human-machine interfacing technologies are immense. The Bath Institute for the Augmented Human has been founded to accelerate technological developments and help the UK prepare for the growing impact of direct human-to-machine interactions.
Our research
We aim to be a leading institute nationally and globally, driving responsible, cutting-edge research and trialling and deploying human augmentation technologies that have a wide-reaching impact.
Our world-leading research institute brings together more than 50 academics from disciplines including robotics, engineering, computer science, health, neuroscience, and psychology. We want to push the limits of our natural capabilities, and we’ll work with industry partners, patient groups and others, to find new and imaginative ways to integrate machines with our bodies and minds, improving our quality of life.
We also want to ensure human augmentation technology is deployed both safely and ethically. Through our research we will take a leading role in devising rules, ensuring no harm is done by the technology developed in this field.
Making an impact
Drawing on academics from across departments and disciplines, we have leading expertise in a wide range of relevant technologies. These include brain-computer interfaces, motion capture, eye tracking, prosthetics and exoskeletons, biosensors and virtual and augmented reality research. We also have strong links with regional, national and global partners in academia and industry and collaborators in UK hospitals, sports governing bodies and defence forces.
Examples of impactful technologies developed by the team include:
- Enabling spinal-injured people to compete at Cybathlon
- Helping people with neuro-disorders communicate
- Identifying the early stages of Alzheimer’s
- Helping amputees feel again through sensory feedback systems in prosthetic limbs.
About us
The University of Bath Institute for the Augmented Human brings together fundamental and applied science and engineering, and whole systems approaches; applying interdisciplinarity across its research, training, education, collaboration, policy, public engagement and knowledge exchange activities.
Contact us
If you have any questions about our research, please get in touch.