Robots demonstrating chronic disease at York Festival of Ideas

Research from YRL was combined in a unique demonstration of swarm robotics and immunology on Saturday 14th June as part of demonstrations for the Centre for Chronic Diseases (C2D2) in a Science-out-of-the-lab exhibition as part of York Festival of Ideas 2014.

Prof Jon Timmis used our modular e-puck platform (more information can be found in this paper) to mount T cells (immune systems cells) and a parasite known as Leishmaniasis to demonstrate the formation of granulomas, which is an immune response to the infection of the parasite (as seen in this video).  This was complimented by a computer simulation of the disease (as discussed in this paper), which can be used to predict the affect of drugs on the parasite. This work is an example of the interdisciplinary approach adopted at YRL.