HDR UK Midlands is proud to highlight the work of Professor Eiman Kanjo, Midlands Health Data Strategy Board member, in a pioneering national initiative to embed AI and smart technologies into the UK’s green spaces.

Led by Nottingham Trent University and funded by UKRI’s EPSRC (Engineering and physical sciences research council), the £600,000 project will use AI, low-cost sensors and digital tools to enhance physical activity, mental wellbeing and social connectedness in parks, gardens and other natural spaces. The aim is to transform these everyday environments into interactive, inclusive ecosystems that support preventative health and social prescribing.

The initiative is part of a wider ‘Engineering Healthier Environments’ project and will involve establishing a ‘GREEN+ Network’ to drive it forward and establish a roadmap for how new technologies can be integrated into public landscapes to promote healthier, more connected lives. This project will bring together academics, healthcare professionals, technologists and community partners to co-design digital interventions that are accessible, scalable and community-driven. Ideas include wellbeing trails, mindfulness prompts, augmented storytelling for families, and tools for those recovering from mental health challenges.

Professor Eiman Kanjo, also Head of Nottingham Trent University’s Smart Sensing Lab, emphasises that this project is about enhancing, not replacing, nature – helping people reconnect with the outdoors through evidence-based, empowering experiences.

“Our work will harness AI systems, pervasive sensing and low-energy digital technologies, embedding them into our green spaces as a way to encourage movement and support physical and mental wellbeing.”

HDR UK Midlands supports this forward-thinking work as a strong example of how data, technology and collaborative design can come together to create healthier environments and more resilient communities.

Green space managers, health professionals and innovators are encouraged to get involved by contacting Professor Kanjo at eiman.kanjo@ntu.ac.uk.

Read the full article here.

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