Driving Innovation: Transatlantic Attitudes to the Bionics Bus as a Vehicle for Health Transformation and STEM Engagement

Authors

• Christopher James, Biomedical Engineering Institute University of Warwick Warwick UK
• Sarang Shankar, Truro Clinical School
• Madeleine Dale, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
• Bhathika Perera, University College London
• Richard Laugharne, CIDER University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine Truro UK
• Matthew Allen, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
• Maria Feijoo‐renones, Biomedical Engineering Institute University of Warwick Warwick UK
• Rohit Shankar, Peninsula Medical School

ORCID

• Rohit Shankar: 0000-0002-1183-6933

Abstract

Emerging mobile health and STEM engagement platforms are increasingly recognised as catalysts for improving public understanding of biomedical technologies and supporting digitally enabled models of healthcare delivery. The Bionics Bus (https://bionicsbus.org/) is a novel mobile laboratory designed to democratise access to robotics, artificial intelligence, prosthetics and digital diagnostics by delivering hands-on experiences directly to schools, communities and healthcare settings. This study provides the first transatlantic comparison of public attitudes toward the Bionics Bus within the United Kingdom and the United States of America (USA), two countries with contrasting healthcare systems and digital transformation priorities. Using a mixed-methods cross-sectional design, 78 participants completed a survey assessing technology perceptions, healthcare accessibility, enthusiasm for STEM and views on the usefulness and potential of the Bionics Bus. Quantitative analysis demonstrated high levels of excitement and strong recognition of the relevance of technology in healthcare across both countries, with USA respondents more likely to report geographical barriers to accessing healthcare. Thematic analysis revealed shared optimism for the Bus as a tool for education, accessibility and community-based innovation. These findings highlight the potential of mobile biomedical platforms to support digital inclusivity, strengthen science capital and enhance public engagement with technology-enabled healthcare.

DOI Link

10.1049/htl2.70090

Publication Date

2026-06-18

Publication Title

Healthcare Technology Letters

Volume

13

Issue

1

Deposit Date

2026-06-21

Funding

The development of this paper was enabled by the EPSRC-funded Bionics+ Network

Additional Links

https://ietresearch.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1049/htl2.70090

Keywords

assisted living, biocybernetics, biomedical measurement, blind source seoaration, brain, electroencephalography, medical signal processing, neural nets, patient monitoring, time-frequency analysis

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

James, C., Shankar, S., Dale, M., Perera, B., Laugharne, R., Allen, M., Feijoo‐renones, M., & Shankar, R. (2026) 'Driving Innovation: Transatlantic Attitudes to the Bionics Bus as a Vehicle for Health Transformation and STEM Engagement', Healthcare Technology Letters, 13(1). Available at: 10.1049/htl2.70090