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Research round-up: A year of innovation

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With another academic year now behind us, we look back on 12 months of innovation and ingenuity at Brunel University London.

For further information on research at Brunel, please visit: brunel.ac.uk/research

 

Smart surgical robot makes light work of ear implants

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Patients having ear implants could soon benefit from safer surgery thanks to a new hand-held robotic drill that’s so sensitive it can drill through an eggshell and stop before reaching the membrane.

Researchers at Brunel, led by Dr Xinli Du at Brunel Institute of Bioengineering, say the new drill works at a slower pace than similar tools, reducing vibration and the possibility of injury to the patient.

 

Chill-out tunes boost recovery after workout

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Your playlist is key to getting the most out of your post-exercise recovery and can help you stick to your routine, Brunel scientists have shown for the first time.

The brain-hacking effects of upbeat tracks to blast you out of feeling tired are long-known, but researchers, led by Dr Costas Karageorghis, have demonstrated than soothing sounds speed recovery and make you feel better after hard exercise.

'Significant and widespread' microplastics found in mussels from UK waters

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Microplastics and other debris were found in 100 per cent of mussels sampled from around the UK coast, and from those bought in supermarkets, Scientists from Brunel University London and the University of Hull say.

The Royal Navy's secret campaign against 'unnatural crimes'

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New research that lifts the lid on the Royal Navy’s secret campaign to prosecute homosexual sailors in the run-up to and first months of the First World War was unveiled for the first time by naval historian Professor Matthew Seligmann.

Novel Kinect system helps keep Parkinson's patients moving

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A new system which helps people with Parkinson’s disease overcome debilitating walking problems has been developed by researchers at Brunel.

Built using Microsoft’s now-obsolete Kinect peripheral, the system monitors for and detects freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson’s patients.

 

Reported by:

Tim Pilgrim, Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268965
Tim.Pilgrim@brunel.ac.uk