FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4069665

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4043378

LEAD IN:

Science research and development in the UK may face an uncertain future following last week's Brexit decision, but that isn't stopping the UK's top robotics companies.

They've been showing off their latest flying, shape-shifting – and in some cases potentially life changing – inventions at Britain's first Robotics Week.

STORY-LINE:

From shape-changing robots to dexterous mechanical arms, the latest in robotics was on show at the UK's first ever Robotics Week.

The event, from the 25 June to the 1 July, aims to get the British public engaged with developments and debates around robotics.

This shape-shifting robot is designed to manoeuvre over a variety of terrains to access hard to reach places, making it useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But, taking place just days after the seismic political shift caused by the Brexit referendum, the impact of leaving the European Union was also at the forefront of people's minds.

Around 18.3 per cent of the funds the UK receives from the EU goes towards funding scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee said recently.

But Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, says the UK's scientific community will continue to cooperate with others around the world whatever happens.

"Science doesn't respect national borders, we're part of a global community" he says.

While fans of the Terminator films may fear the rise of the robots, exhibitors at the event were keen to show how robotics can protect people.

The Shadow Dextrous Hand, made by the Shadow Robot Company, can be used for situations such as bomb disposal.

Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at Shadow Robot Company, says: "If you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

De La Rosa thinks that robotics are not just science fiction, but increasingly part of daily life.

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better," he says.

While the Shadow Dextrous Hand is currently too heavy to be used as a prosthetic, other artificial limbs were on show.

Basingstoke-based company Blatchford demonstrated its Linx Limb, which it claims is the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.

It was the recent winner of the UK's leading prize for innovation in engineering, the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, explains: "This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner."

"So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce," he says.

This exhibit shows how drones, dexterous digits and smart prosthetics are changing our future and bringing hi tech into our every day lives.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4043378

LEAD IN:

Science research and development in the UK may face an uncertain future following last week's Brexit decision, but that isn't stopping the UK's top robotics companies.

They've been showing off their latest flying, shape-shifting – and in some cases potentially life changing – inventions at Britain's first Robotics Week.

STORY-LINE:

From shape-changing robots to dexterous mechanical arms, the latest in robotics was on show at the UK's first ever Robotics Week.

The event, from the 25 June to the 1 July, aims to get the British public engaged with developments and debates around robotics.

This shape-shifting robot is designed to manoeuvre over a variety of terrains to access hard to reach places, making it useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But, taking place just days after the seismic political shift caused by the Brexit referendum, the impact of leaving the European Union was also at the forefront of people's minds.

Around 18.3 per cent of the funds the UK receives from the EU goes towards funding scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee said recently.

But Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, says the UK's scientific community will continue to cooperate with others around the world whatever happens.

"Science doesn't respect national borders, we're part of a global community" he says.

While fans of the Terminator films may fear the rise of the robots, exhibitors at the event were keen to show how robotics can protect people.

The Shadow Dextrous Hand, made by the Shadow Robot Company, can be used for situations such as bomb disposal.

Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at Shadow Robot Company, says: "If you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

De La Rosa thinks that robotics are not just science fiction, but increasingly part of daily life.

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better," he says.

While the Shadow Dextrous Hand is currently too heavy to be used as a prosthetic, other artificial limbs were on show.

Basingstoke-based company Blatchford demonstrated its Linx Limb, which it claims is the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.

It was the recent winner of the UK's leading prize for innovation in engineering, the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, explains: "This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner."

"So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce," he says.

This exhibit shows how drones, dexterous digits and smart prosthetics are changing our future and bringing hi tech into our every day lives.

London - 1 July 2016

1. Various of shape changing robot walking and waving.

2. Various of Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, looking at a display in the IET.

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford:

"Science doesn't respect national borders. So, we're part of a global community"

4. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Especially for dangerous environments where often you need - if you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

6. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better."

8. Various of visitors looking at exhibits at the UK Robotics Week event

9. Various of Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, with the Linx Limb.

10. SOUNDBITE (English): Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford.

"This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner. So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce."

11. Various of robotics on display at the UK Robotics Week event.

LEAD IN:

Science research and development in the UK may face an uncertain future following last week's Brexit decision, but that isn't stopping the UK's top robotics companies.

They've been showing off their latest flying, shape-shifting – and in some cases potentially life changing – inventions at Britain's first Robotics Week.

STORY-LINE:

From shape-changing robots to dexterous mechanical arms, the latest in robotics was on show at the UK's first ever Robotics Week.

The event, from the 25 June to the 1 July, aims to get the British public engaged with developments and debates around robotics.

This shape-shifting robot is designed to manoeuvre over a variety of terrains to access hard to reach places, making it useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But, taking place just days after the seismic political shift caused by the Brexit referendum, the impact of leaving the European Union was also at the forefront of people's minds.

Around 18.3 per cent of the funds the UK receives from the EU goes towards funding scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee said recently.

But Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, says the UK's scientific community will continue to cooperate with others around the world whatever happens.

"Science doesn't respect national borders, we're part of a global community" he says.

While fans of the Terminator films may fear the rise of the robots, exhibitors at the event were keen to show how robotics can protect people.

The Shadow Dextrous Hand, made by the Shadow Robot Company, can be used for situations such as bomb disposal.

Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at Shadow Robot Company, says: "If you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

De La Rosa thinks that robotics are not just science fiction, but increasingly part of daily life.

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better," he says.

While the Shadow Dextrous Hand is currently too heavy to be used as a prosthetic, other artificial limbs were on show.

Basingstoke-based company Blatchford demonstrated its Linx Limb, which it claims is the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.

It was the recent winner of the UK's leading prize for innovation in engineering, the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, explains: "This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner."

"So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce," he says.

This exhibit shows how drones, dexterous digits and smart prosthetics are changing our future and bringing hi tech into our every day lives.

LEAD IN:

Science research and development in the UK may face an uncertain future following last week's Brexit decision, but that isn't stopping the UK's top robotics companies.

They've been showing off their latest flying, shape-shifting – and in some cases potentially life changing – inventions at Britain's first Robotics Week.

STORY-LINE:

From shape-changing robots to dexterous mechanical arms, the latest in robotics was on show at the UK's first ever Robotics Week.

The event, from the 25 June to the 1 July, aims to get the British public engaged with developments and debates around robotics.

This shape-shifting robot is designed to manoeuvre over a variety of terrains to access hard to reach places, making it useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But, taking place just days after the seismic political shift caused by the Brexit referendum, the impact of leaving the European Union was also at the forefront of people's minds.

Around 18.3 per cent of the funds the UK receives from the EU goes towards funding scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee said recently.

But Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, says the UK's scientific community will continue to cooperate with others around the world whatever happens.

"Science doesn't respect national borders, we're part of a global community" he says.

While fans of the Terminator films may fear the rise of the robots, exhibitors at the event were keen to show how robotics can protect people.

The Shadow Dextrous Hand, made by the Shadow Robot Company, can be used for situations such as bomb disposal.

Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at Shadow Robot Company, says: "If you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

De La Rosa thinks that robotics are not just science fiction, but increasingly part of daily life.

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better," he says.

While the Shadow Dextrous Hand is currently too heavy to be used as a prosthetic, other artificial limbs were on show.

Basingstoke-based company Blatchford demonstrated its Linx Limb, which it claims is the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.

It was the recent winner of the UK's leading prize for innovation in engineering, the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, explains: "This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner."

"So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce," he says.

This exhibit shows how drones, dexterous digits and smart prosthetics are changing our future and bringing hi tech into our every day lives.

London - 1 July 2016

1. Various of shape changing robot walking and waving.

2. Various of Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, looking at a display in the IET.

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford:

"Science doesn't respect national borders. So, we're part of a global community"

4. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Especially for dangerous environments where often you need - if you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

6. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better."

8. Various of visitors looking at exhibits at the UK Robotics Week event

9. Various of Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, with the Linx Limb.

10. SOUNDBITE (English): Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford.

"This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner. So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce."

11. Various of robotics on display at the UK Robotics Week event.

LEADIN:

Assistance robots, digital art and virtual fitting rooms are just some of the gadgets competing for attention at Paris' annual Viva Technology event.

French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to position France the new gateway to Europe for internet and tech companies.

STORYLINE:

These Pepper robots by SoftBank robotics are greeting visitors to Paris' Viva Technology.

Robotics is a top trend at the annual event. Limoges, France-based Cybedroid is showcasing its semi-humanoid, autonomous robot, called 'Leenby.'

The so-called "cobot" - meaning collaborative robot - is intended to address the needs of the elderly or assist in medical environments.

Using two lidar sensors and a stereovision camera, 'Leenby' is able to map his surroundings. He's also equipped with voice recognition.

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks," says Lou Josselin, an engineer at Cybedroid.

"So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

Naveil, France-based AdEchoTech is demonstrating its remote, robotic ultrasound solution, called 'Melody.'

Using just a wi-fi internet connection, radiologists thousands of miles away are able to control this ultrasound probe in almost real-time.

A video conferencing system lets patients see and speak with their physician.

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital," explains Philippe Homsi from AdEchoTech.

"Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

Forget talking into a smartphone, South Korea-based Innomdle Lab is demonstrating a smart wrist strap that lets users make calls with just their fingertip.

The SGNL (pron. 'signal') smart strap generates vibrations through the users' hand running up to their fingertip.

When the fingertip is placed on the ear, the vibrations echo to create amplified sound.

Innomble Lab is the first company to officially spin off from Samsung Electronics. The start-up has raised almost $1.5 million USD on crowd funding website Kickstarter.

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you," says Jean Kim from Innomdle Lab.

"But with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

Digital studio Smart Machines is demonstrating its high-tech graffiti wall, named 'Picturae.'

Its digital nature allows users to undo, redo, print and save their creations.

Patrick Suchet from Smart Machines says he was inspired to create 'Picturae' after seeing some less-than-inspiring digital artworks.

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that,'" says Suchet.

"And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

SweetFit is showcasing its virtual fitting room, which allows shoppers to digitally try countless clothes with just a wave of the arm.

The screen combines augmented reality and gesture recognition technology to seemingly overlay different designs on the user's body.

Florence Moine from SweetFit says it increases the visibility of brands and acts as a time-saver for customers.

Now in its third year, the three-day Viva Technology event is welcoming over 8,000 start-ups and 1,400 investors.

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days," says Mike Butch, Editor-at-large at tech website TechCrunch.

"London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

Viva Technology runs 24-26 May at Paris Expo.

Paris, France- 24 May 2018

1. Various of Pepper robots welcoming visitors to Viva Technology tech event

2. Tilt down from sign, reading: 'Viva' to show floor

3. Pan left form Cybedroid worker to 'Leenby' collaborative robot

4. Various setup shots of Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid, interacting with 'Leenby'

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks. So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

6. Various of Cybedroid worker leading 'Leenby' robot by hand

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"You can have it in a retail store, for example, giving you directions on the products you want to buy, you can have it in a museum, to give you a tour of the museum. Or you can have it in the hospital, for example, carrying trays, carrying plates and food, delivering medicine to the room so that the nurses can spend more time taking care of the patient."

8. Various of AdEchoTech workers simulating telemedicine ultra sound session

9. Tilt down of ultrasound probe moving remotely

10. Close of screen, showing ultrasound

11. Mid of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

12. Mid AdEchoTech worker having ultrasound

13. Close of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

14. Close of ultrasound probe moving

15. Close of screen, showing probe

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Homsi, Export Manager, AdEchoTech:

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital. Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

17. Various of Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab, demonstrating SGNL (pron. 'signal') phone call smart strap

18. Close of SGNL on Kim's wrist

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"When you have (an) incoming call, this device will send to your SGNL, and this device will convert the signal into the vibration, the vibration will go through your wrist to your fingertip. So, when you place your fingertip to your ear, you can hear the sound."

20. Mid of Innomdle Lab demonstrating SGNL to visitor

21. Close tilt up of SGNL

22. Various of Kim demonstrating SGNL

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you, but with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

24. Various of artist demonstrating Smart Machines' Picturae digital graffiti wall

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Suchet, Smart Machines:

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that.' And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

26. Various of Florence Moine, SweetFit, demonstrating SweetFit virtual fitting room

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Florence Moine, SweetFit:

"It's changed, rethinking the customer experience in the shop, it increases visibility of the brand's collection, it's time saving for customers and creat-able for the brand by sharing photos on social networks. And create traffic at the point of sale and it's a solution to the existing gap between words and shops."

29. Various of Viva Technology show floor

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large, TechCrunch:

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days. London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

31. Various of Viva Technology show floor

LEADIN:

Assistance robots, digital art and virtual fitting rooms are just some of the gadgets competing for attention at Paris' annual Viva Technology event.

French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to position France the new gateway to Europe for internet and tech companies.

STORYLINE:

These Pepper robots by SoftBank robotics are greeting visitors to Paris' Viva Technology.

Robotics is a top trend at the annual event. Limoges, France-based Cybedroid is showcasing its semi-humanoid, autonomous robot, called 'Leenby.'

The so-called "cobot" - meaning collaborative robot - is intended to address the needs of the elderly or assist in medical environments.

Using two lidar sensors and a stereovision camera, 'Leenby' is able to map his surroundings. He's also equipped with voice recognition.

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks," says Lou Josselin, an engineer at Cybedroid.

"So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

Naveil, France-based AdEchoTech is demonstrating its remote, robotic ultrasound solution, called 'Melody.'

Using just a wi-fi internet connection, radiologists thousands of miles away are able to control this ultrasound probe in almost real-time.

A video conferencing system lets patients see and speak with their physician.

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital," explains Philippe Homsi from AdEchoTech.

"Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

Forget talking into a smartphone, South Korea-based Innomdle Lab is demonstrating a smart wrist strap that lets users make calls with just their fingertip.

The SGNL (pron. 'signal') smart strap generates vibrations through the users' hand running up to their fingertip.

When the fingertip is placed on the ear, the vibrations echo to create amplified sound.

Innomble Lab is the first company to officially spin off from Samsung Electronics. The start-up has raised almost $1.5 million USD on crowd funding website Kickstarter.

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you," says Jean Kim from Innomdle Lab.

"But with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

Digital studio Smart Machines is demonstrating its high-tech graffiti wall, named 'Picturae.'

Its digital nature allows users to undo, redo, print and save their creations.

Patrick Suchet from Smart Machines says he was inspired to create 'Picturae' after seeing some less-than-inspiring digital artworks.

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that,'" says Suchet.

"And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

SweetFit is showcasing its virtual fitting room, which allows shoppers to digitally try countless clothes with just a wave of the arm.

The screen combines augmented reality and gesture recognition technology to seemingly overlay different designs on the user's body.

Florence Moine from SweetFit says it increases the visibility of brands and acts as a time-saver for customers.

Now in its third year, the three-day Viva Technology event is welcoming over 8,000 start-ups and 1,400 investors.

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days," says Mike Butch, Editor-at-large at tech website TechCrunch.

"London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

Viva Technology runs 24-26 May at Paris Expo.

Paris, France- 24 May 2018

1. Various of Pepper robots welcoming visitors to Viva Technology tech event

2. Tilt down from sign, reading: 'Viva' to show floor

3. Pan left form Cybedroid worker to 'Leenby' collaborative robot

4. Various setup shots of Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid, interacting with 'Leenby'

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks. So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

6. Various of Cybedroid worker leading 'Leenby' robot by hand

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"You can have it in a retail store, for example, giving you directions on the products you want to buy, you can have it in a museum, to give you a tour of the museum. Or you can have it in the hospital, for example, carrying trays, carrying plates and food, delivering medicine to the room so that the nurses can spend more time taking care of the patient."

8. Various of AdEchoTech workers simulating telemedicine ultra sound session

9. Tilt down of ultrasound probe moving remotely

10. Close of screen, showing ultrasound

11. Mid of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

12. Mid AdEchoTech worker having ultrasound

13. Close of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

14. Close of ultrasound probe moving

15. Close of screen, showing probe

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Homsi, Export Manager, AdEchoTech:

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital. Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

17. Various of Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab, demonstrating SGNL (pron. 'signal') phone call smart strap

18. Close of SGNL on Kim's wrist

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"When you have (an) incoming call, this device will send to your SGNL, and this device will convert the signal into the vibration, the vibration will go through your wrist to your fingertip. So, when you place your fingertip to your ear, you can hear the sound."

20. Mid of Innomdle Lab demonstrating SGNL to visitor

21. Close tilt up of SGNL

22. Various of Kim demonstrating SGNL

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you, but with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

24. Various of artist demonstrating Smart Machines' Picturae digital graffiti wall

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Suchet, Smart Machines:

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that.' And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

26. Various of Florence Moine, SweetFit, demonstrating SweetFit virtual fitting room

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Florence Moine, SweetFit:

"It's changed, rethinking the customer experience in the shop, it increases visibility of the brand's collection, it's time saving for customers and creat-able for the brand by sharing photos on social networks. And create traffic at the point of sale and it's a solution to the existing gap between words and shops."

29. Various of Viva Technology show floor

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large, TechCrunch:

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days. London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

31. Various of Viva Technology show floor

LEADIN:

Assistance robots, digital art and virtual fitting rooms are just some of the gadgets competing for attention at Paris' annual Viva Technology event.

French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to position France the new gateway to Europe for internet and tech companies.

STORYLINE:

These Pepper robots by SoftBank robotics are greeting visitors to Paris' Viva Technology.

Robotics is a top trend at the annual event. Limoges, France-based Cybedroid is showcasing its semi-humanoid, autonomous robot, called 'Leenby.'

The so-called "cobot" - meaning collaborative robot - is intended to address the needs of the elderly or assist in medical environments.

Using two lidar sensors and a stereovision camera, 'Leenby' is able to map his surroundings. He's also equipped with voice recognition.

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks," says Lou Josselin, an engineer at Cybedroid.

"So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

Naveil, France-based AdEchoTech is demonstrating its remote, robotic ultrasound solution, called 'Melody.'

Using just a wi-fi internet connection, radiologists thousands of miles away are able to control this ultrasound probe in almost real-time.

A video conferencing system lets patients see and speak with their physician.

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital," explains Philippe Homsi from AdEchoTech.

"Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

Forget talking into a smartphone, South Korea-based Innomdle Lab is demonstrating a smart wrist strap that lets users make calls with just their fingertip.

The SGNL (pron. 'signal') smart strap generates vibrations through the users' hand running up to their fingertip.

When the fingertip is placed on the ear, the vibrations echo to create amplified sound.

Innomble Lab is the first company to officially spin off from Samsung Electronics. The start-up has raised almost $1.5 million USD on crowd funding website Kickstarter.

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you," says Jean Kim from Innomdle Lab.

"But with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

Digital studio Smart Machines is demonstrating its high-tech graffiti wall, named 'Picturae.'

Its digital nature allows users to undo, redo, print and save their creations.

Patrick Suchet from Smart Machines says he was inspired to create 'Picturae' after seeing some less-than-inspiring digital artworks.

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that,'" says Suchet.

"And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

SweetFit is showcasing its virtual fitting room, which allows shoppers to digitally try countless clothes with just a wave of the arm.

The screen combines augmented reality and gesture recognition technology to seemingly overlay different designs on the user's body.

Florence Moine from SweetFit says it increases the visibility of brands and acts as a time-saver for customers.

Now in its third year, the three-day Viva Technology event is welcoming over 8,000 start-ups and 1,400 investors.

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days," says Mike Butch, Editor-at-large at tech website TechCrunch.

"London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

Viva Technology runs 24-26 May at Paris Expo.

Paris, France- 24 May 2018

1. Various of Pepper robots welcoming visitors to Viva Technology tech event

2. Tilt down from sign, reading: 'Viva' to show floor

3. Pan left form Cybedroid worker to 'Leenby' collaborative robot

4. Various setup shots of Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid, interacting with 'Leenby'

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"I believe robots are made to help people, make their days easier, to enable them to perform more human tasks, to step out of menial tasks, repetitive tasks and dull tasks. So, robots can handle that, so you can focus something that needs to a human to perform."

6. Various of Cybedroid worker leading 'Leenby' robot by hand

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Lou Josselin, Engineer, Cybedroid:

"You can have it in a retail store, for example, giving you directions on the products you want to buy, you can have it in a museum, to give you a tour of the museum. Or you can have it in the hospital, for example, carrying trays, carrying plates and food, delivering medicine to the room so that the nurses can spend more time taking care of the patient."

8. Various of AdEchoTech workers simulating telemedicine ultra sound session

9. Tilt down of ultrasound probe moving remotely

10. Close of screen, showing ultrasound

11. Mid of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

12. Mid AdEchoTech worker having ultrasound

13. Close of AdEchoTech worker remotely controlling ultrasound probe

14. Close of ultrasound probe moving

15. Close of screen, showing probe

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Homsi, Export Manager, AdEchoTech:

"We are in the heart of telemedicine. Territory countries, like Canada, Russia, where there are a lot of first nation communities living up north, they are thousands of miles from the first hospital. Instead of asking them to bring them down to the hospital - and that costs a lot of transportation costs actually, incur a lot of transportation costs - this kind of system, one is setup, the radiologist from miles away can enter communities, examine the patient."

17. Various of Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab, demonstrating SGNL (pron. 'signal') phone call smart strap

18. Close of SGNL on Kim's wrist

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"When you have (an) incoming call, this device will send to your SGNL, and this device will convert the signal into the vibration, the vibration will go through your wrist to your fingertip. So, when you place your fingertip to your ear, you can hear the sound."

20. Mid of Innomdle Lab demonstrating SGNL to visitor

21. Close tilt up of SGNL

22. Various of Kim demonstrating SGNL

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Kim, Innomdle Lab:

"If you want to have phone conversations without your smartphone, you need extra devices like earphones or Bluetooth headsets, which is (a) hassle to carry all the time with you, but with this device, you don't have to worry about carrying it, all you need to do is click this button, and place your fingertip to your email and answer the phone."

24. Various of artist demonstrating Smart Machines' Picturae digital graffiti wall

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Suchet, Smart Machines:

"I saw people with small smartphones and doing drawings on their small corner, and I said to myself; 'No, it's not possible. Digital drawing can't be that.' And I said, okay take a big canvas and try something. And this is it."

26. Various of Florence Moine, SweetFit, demonstrating SweetFit virtual fitting room

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Florence Moine, SweetFit:

"It's changed, rethinking the customer experience in the shop, it increases visibility of the brand's collection, it's time saving for customers and creat-able for the brand by sharing photos on social networks. And create traffic at the point of sale and it's a solution to the existing gap between words and shops."

29. Various of Viva Technology show floor

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large, TechCrunch:

"This shows actually clearly a show of strength in the French economy towards start-ups, but it's still early days. London is still very much the European powerhouse for tech, but Brexit is going to have a huge effect on that, But Macron is doubling down on start-ups and on tech, as clearly a future part of the French economy."

31. Various of Viva Technology show floor

LEAD IN:

Science research and development in the UK may face an uncertain future following the UK's Brexit decision, but that isn't stopping the UK's top robotics companies.

They've been showing off their latest flying, shape-shifting – and in some cases potentially life changing – inventions at Britain's first Robotics Week.

STORY-LINE:

From shape-changing robots to dexterous mechanical arms, the latest in robotics was on show at the UK's first ever Robotics Week.

The event, which was held from the 25 June to the 1 July, aims to get the British public engaged with developments and debates around robotics.

This shape-shifting robot is designed to manoeuvre over a variety of terrains to access hard to reach places, making it useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

But, taking place just days after the seismic political shift caused by the Brexit referendum, the impact of leaving the European Union was also at the forefront of people's minds.

Around 18.3 per cent of the funds the UK receives from the EU goes towards funding scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee said recently.

But Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, says the UK's scientific community will continue to cooperate with others around the world whatever happens.

"Science doesn't respect national borders, we're part of a global community" he says.

While fans of the Terminator films may fear the rise of the robots, exhibitors at the event were keen to show how robotics can protect people.

The Shadow Dextrous Hand, made by the Shadow Robot Company, can be used for situations such as bomb disposal.

Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at Shadow Robot Company, says: "If you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

De La Rosa thinks that robotics are not just science fiction, but increasingly part of daily life.

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better," he says.

While the Shadow Dextrous Hand is currently too heavy to be used as a prosthetic, other artificial limbs were on show.

Basingstoke-based company Blatchford demonstrated its Linx Limb, which it claims is the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.

It was the recent winner of the UK's leading prize for innovation in engineering, the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, explains: "This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner."

"So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce," he says.

This exhibit shows how drones, dexterous digits and smart prosthetics are changing our future and bringing hi tech into our every day lives.

London - 1 July 2016

1. Various of shape changing robot walking and waving.

2. Various of Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford, looking at a display in the IET.

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Paul Newman, BP Professor of Information Engineering at the University of Oxford:

"Science doesn't respect national borders. So, we're part of a global community"

4. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Especially for dangerous environments where often you need - if you think of in bomb disposal and nuclear commissioning, this is often where you need human dexterity but you don't want a human nearby. This can be attached to a robot arm, to a little rover, and send it on its way and you have the operator somewhere else, at a safe distance, being able to remotely operate the hand to do whatever needs doing and if something goes wrong the operator is at no risk."

6. Various of Shadow Dextrous Hand being operated by Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Armando De La Rosa, head of dexterous manipulation at the Shadow Robot Company:

"Robots are just going everywhere, in our homes, into space, into industry so the dream is not just in space but just robots everywhere making everybody's life better."

8. Various of visitors looking at exhibits at the UK Robotics Week event

9. Various of Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford, with the Linx Limb.

10. SOUNDBITE (English): Dr Saeed Zahedi, technical director at Blatchford.

"This is the first integrated limb where the ankle and knee, they talk to each other, and behave in a coordinated manner. So for example if the amputee is going down the slope it would provide a break at the ankle as well as a break at the knee. An array of sensors at the knee and the ankle, they provide the information to each other so it can coordinate and synchronise and predict what the person is going to do in the same manner as you and I will go down the slope or go up the slope or go down the stairs or stand. Therefore the effort an amputee has to put into walking a leg will reduce."

11. Various of robotics on display at the UK Robotics Week event.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday struck a defiant tone as he addressed the Conservative party's online conference, saying he'd had "more than enough" of the coronavirus but that the UK would defeat it, "just as this country has seen off every alien invader for the last thousand years."

In his speech the PM acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic had been responsible for a large-scale disruption to both people's health and way of life, saying he had "had enough of this disease".

The Prime Minister also addressed accusations from both opposition party figures and his own backbenchers that his experience contracting coronavirus, which led to him receiving intensive care treatment, had affected his leadership.

"I read a lot of nonsense recently about how my own bout of covid has somehow robbed me of my mojo", Johnson said, claiming that the reports were "seditious propaganda".

He admitted that his battle with the disease had been exacerbated by being "too fat" and that he had "lost 26 pounds" since his stay in hospital.

Johnson also laid out plans for the UK's post-COVID recovery, saying that the government was not planning to "restore normality" but to instead reform and rebuild in the same way that the British government did during the Second World War with "a vision of the post-war New Jerusalem".

He also said that recovery would be led "not by the state, but by free enterprise", as well as investment in schools, police and the health service.

UK POOL

London - 6 October 2020

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"I don't know about you, but I have had more than enough of this disease that attacks not only human beings, but so many of the greatest things about our country. Our pubs, clubs, our football, our theatre, and all the gossipy gregariousness and love of human contact that drives the creativity of our economy. And so I want to thank you all for zooming in. And I can tell you that your government is working night and day to repel this virus. And we will succeed just as this country has seen of every alien invader for the last thousand years. And we will succeed by collective effort, by following the guidance and with the help of weekly and almost daily improvements in the medicine and the science. We will ensure the next time we meet, it will be face to face and cheek by jowl. And we're working for the day when life will be back to normal. Flying in a plane. We'll be back to the moon. Hairdressers will no longer look as though they're handling radioactive isotopes and where we can go and see our loved ones in care homes and when we no longer have to greet each other by touching elbows, as in some giant national version of the Birdy Dance."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"I've read a lot of nonsense recently about how my own bout of COVID has somehow robbed me of my mojo. And of course, this is self-evident drivel, the kind of seditious propaganda that you'd expect from people who don't want this government to succeed, who wanted to stop us delivering Brexit and all our other manifesto pledges. And I can tell you that no power on Earth was and is going to do that."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"And yet, I have to admit, the reason I had such a nasty experience with the disease is that although I was superficially in the pink of health when I caught it, I had a very common underlying condition. My friends, I was too fat. And I've since lost 26 pounds, and you can imagine that in bags of sugar.  And I'm going to continue that diet because you've got to search for the hero inside yourself. And that individual is considerably slimmer."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"And so we can't now define the mission of this country as merely to restore normality. That isn't good enough. In the depths of the Second World War, when just about everything had gone wrong, the government sketched out a vision of the post-war New Jerusalem that they wanted to build. And that's what we're doing now in the teeth of this pandemic."