Humanoid and Exoskeleton research featured in Channel 5 Documentary

Mike Mosley: Wonders of the Human Body Thursday, 29th August from 8pm on Channel 5

The work on human locomotion, bipedal humanoid control and assistive exoskeleton research will be featured in the second one-hour episode, due to air on channel 5 on Thursday, 29th August from 8pm.

In this episode, Professor Sethu Vijayakumar explains the intricacies of bipedal locomotion and the difference between static vs dynamic walking, with an emphasis on how we perform stumble recovery, and how the methodologies that the human body uses to achieve robust walking can be an inspiration for control of humanoid robot platforms such as the NASA Valkyrie in loco-manipulation tasks.  PhD student Andreas Christou demonstrates the complexities of shared control when wearing an exoskeleton suit, with Dr Mosley trying out the exo on an instrumented treadmill with live kinematic and dynamic tracking using markers and ground reaction force (GRF) plates.

Some of this work on understanding human locomotion and gait parameters has led to several high impact projects including an ongoing project funded through the Japan Science and Technology (JST) Moonshot programme that targets early detection and active intervention in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neuron Disease (MND) through portable gait sensing -- in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh's Anne Rowling Clinic, Cajal Institute in Spain and Nagoya and Tokyo Universities in Japan.  

We were shocked to hear of the untimely passing of Dr Mosley earlier this year. However, we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him on this documentary and his infectious curiosity and quest for new knowledge have left an indelible impression on all the lab members. The research featured has a huge potential to make a difference in our understanding and management of some of the most debilitating neurodegenerative diseases of today.

Michael Mosley: Wonders of the Human Body was filmed prior to Dr. Michael Mosley’s death in June 2024.  In the three-part series, Mosley decodes the marvel of design and engineering that is the human body, allowing viewers to see their own bodies in new ways. The program also commemorates Mosley with a tribute from his wife, Dr. Clare Bailey.