School of Engineering News

Imagine a laboratory that doesn’t wait for you to come to it — instead, it rolls right up to your school, clinic, or community hub. That’s the vision behind the Bionics Bus, launched in November 2024 to democratise access to cutting-edge technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and digital diagnostics.

Far more than a vehicle, the Bus is designed to deliver hands-on experiences and spark curiosity across diverse audiences. Its mission spans three interconnected directions:

• STEM outreach to schoolchildren
• Development of a mobile laboratory for biomedical engineering and digital healthcare research
• Delivery of digital healthcare to underserved communities

Milestones on the Road

The journey began with a high-profile debut at the Classic Motor Show 2024, where the Bus was unveiled to a wide audience. Alongside demonstrations, the team conducted a qualitative survey capturing public attitudes toward digital healthcare. The findings became the foundation for a published paper, “The Bionics Bus for neurology and neuropsychiatry: Concept development and validation”, published earlier this year in Healthcare Technology Letters.

Momentum carried across the Atlantic with a landmark event aboard the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier turned museum in California (www.uss-hornet.org). Using immersive videos and live demonstrations of healthcare technology, the team repeated the survey to compare perspectives across nations. A follow-up publication, “Driving Innovation: Transatlantic Attitudes to the Bionics Bus as a Vehicle for Health Transformation and STEM Engagement”, is now under review — contrasting UK and US views on mobile labs in digital healthcare.

Most recently, in November 2025, the Bus returned to the Classic Motor Show with an expanded vision of its future design and a suite of new interactive activities. One highlight was recording EEGs from nearly 90 participants — ranging in age from six to seventy-six — offering a vivid demonstration of how biomedical technology can engage diverse audiences. This milestone cemented the Bus’s journey forward, blending outreach, research, and public participation.

Looking Ahead

The road ahead is ambitious. A VR experience is already in development, designed to immerse audiences in the science and technology behind the Bus. At the same time, the team is embarking on the next phase of development: kitting out the Bus interior with the requisite technology to complete the full picture of a mobile laboratory.

With these advances on the horizon, the Bionics Bus continues to evolve as both a platform for discovery and a vehicle for transformation. Look out for more news soon — the journey is only just beginning, and the impact promises to be profound.