National prize for University of Glasgow postgraduate’s startup

A startup company founded by a former PhD student from the University of Glasgow has received a cash prize for its efforts to improve the quality of life of older and disabled people. Paolo Di Prodi received £10,000 to support his company, Robomotic Ltd, after taking second place in the postgraduate category of the third annual Santander Entrepreneurship Awards in London last week. Paolo graduated with a PhD in Robotics from the University's School of Engineering in 2012 and founded Robomotic shortly before in 2011. The company is prototyping smart-watch devices which are equipped with sensors to monitor the movements and temperature of the wearer. Bespoke software developed by the company is designed to build up a picture of users' movements and sleeping habits. When used by older or disabled people in their homes, the devices can alert family members or local authorities when changes to their usual schedule occur, such as longer-than-usual periods of inactivity which could signify a fall. Paolo said: "I'm pleased and proud to have received this recognition from the Santander Entrepreneurship Awards.