[FG] Bio-Inspired Robots for Medicine-Lab

For hundreds of years, damage to the smooth tissue in our knee joints, called articular cartilage, was considered unrepairable. Because of this, people with insufferable knee pain often had to get part or all of their knee replaced. Only recently, researchers discovered that cells from the articular cartilage can be encouraged to grow in a lab. These cells can then be placed back into damaged areas, allowing the cartilage to regrow and heal. Our project aims to make this technique more successful by using a tiny robot with a laser to precisely remove damaged tissue. This approach is less invasive and should help reduce the chances of failure.

In December 2021, the new research unit ‘Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Engineering’ (CADENCE) was formed at Department of Biomedical Engineering (DBE) at the University of Basel (https://dbe.unibas.ch/en/research/biomechanics-and-biomaterials/cadence/) comprising the research groups ‘Functional Biomechanics’, ‘Robot-assisted Theragnostics’, ‘Paediatric Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Modelling’, and ‘Spine Biomechanics’. CADENCE facilitates innovative and groundbreaking interdisciplinary research in biomedical engineering and biomechanics and serves as teaching facility for courses on diagnostic and therapeutic technologies within the new Master of Science program and the PhD programs at the DBE. The R`Equip grant supports CADENCE in the purchase of a range of state-of-the-art sensor technologies and the world’s first 3D gait rehabilitation robot ‘The FLOAT’. This investment is critical for the unique and internationally leading role of the research groups in the research and innovation ecosystem in the Basel region.