RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

March 21 , 2005
DANCING ROBOT GIVES SAFETY A LIFT

A break dancing robot will give visitors a lift when they go to the RoSPA stand (Hall 9, D30) at Safety and Health Expo 2005 in Birmingham in May.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has teamed up with the Motion Analysis Research and Rehabilitation Centre (MARRC) at University College Worcester to demonstrate improved manual handling techniques.

MARRC’s Robosapien will be demonstrating the technology and systems developed to assist and empower people to use correct manual handling techniques in areas as diverse as lifting and stretching in an office environment to correct and safe patient handling techniques.

The robot will execute a series of movements and at the same time a screen behind it will show a 3-D image of a skeleton going through the same movements. This will demonstrate the stresses placed on the human body if someone was lifting in the same way.

Scientists at MARRC can use the information to tailor and improve manual handling techniques for each individual to lessen the likelihood of injury.

Any handling activity can be assessed, analysed, and if required, modified to minimise the potential for injury and reduce possible associated sickness costs.

To entertain visitors to the RoSPA stand, the robot will also perform break dancing routines between its manual handling duties.

Dee Arp, RoSPA Health and Safety Consultant, said: “This is a new and exciting way to assist in the training of efficient moving and handling, and enables people to improve their technique in a unique and very specific way.”

The stand will feature a Toyota F1 racing car and visitors will have the chance to win a day watching motor racing by entering a prize draw.

The Society will also be highlighting its new regional training courses in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Belfast, Bristol, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

The stand will be open throughout Safety and Health Expo at the NEC, May 17-19, and RoSPA staff will be available to give advice about all of the Society’s products and services. The exhibition runs alongside RoSPA’s Safety and Health Congress Raising Standards : Embedding Excellence at the NEC.