The Automated Sensing and Predictive Inference for Respiratory Exacerbation (ASPIRE) programme, which aims to help patients monitor chronic pulmonary disorder (COPD) , will receive a £1.5 million grant from the government’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The ASPIRE programme aims to develop ‘intelligent’ systems for people to use in their own homes, by wearing lightweight healthcare sensors that can track vital signs. These systems can then monitor COPD signs and symptoms in their own homes, spotting when the condition is worsening early on: delays in spotting changes in long-term conditions like COPD are bad for patients, and increase the cost of their healthcare.