Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince William’s recent trip to Bristol provides an excellent illustration of this shift. The congressional visit took place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. It showcased the cutting edge solutions that so many of Massachusetts’ ventures are creating, like Matter, a past Earthshot Prize finalist.
Matter is focused on creating microplastic filtration systems aimed specifically at addressing the increasingly prevalent problem of microplastics entering our ecosystems. On his visit, Prince William took a good look at this ball of red microfibers! These fibers were retrieved from roughly ten launderings of red towels. He observed two plastic boxes filled with microfibers collected from a machine built to address issues in textile manufacturing.
During his trip, Prince William made a stop at Bristol Robotics Lab. This temporary lab is a joint initiative of the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. Home, he got to test a lightweight mobility scooter and look at an exoskeleton made to help people with mobility challenges walk again.
Judith Squires, deputy vice chancellor of the University of Bristol, said they were delighted to welcome the royal visitor.
“Thinking about ways we can support people to live independent, dignified lives is going to be a game changer,” – Judith Squires
Beyond changes in technology, Prince William pointed to his own passion for sustainability. He mentioned that he and the Princess of Wales have fitted one of Matter’s microplastic filtration devices to their washing machine.
At the demonstration, he was clearly surprised at just how big the microplastics problem is.
“I’m genuinely horrified. I can’t get over the size,” – William
Zeke Steer, founder of Matter, opened up discussion on other innovative collaborative projects being hatched in the lab. One of the most exciting projects is developing smart socks to identify increasing levels of distress in people with dementia. These smart socks provide caregivers with valuable data to understand and address potential distress before it becomes a serious issue.
“(The socks) detect rising levels of distress that a person with dementia may have, giving carers a window of opportunity to alleviate that distress before it escalates,” – Zeke Steer
The Bristol Robotics Lab and ventures like Matter are at the forefront of addressing challenges posed by an aging population and environmental sustainability. The technologies are unexpected, awesome, and required to create a better quality of life for millions of people.