ROBOTICSS could be the future of adult social care on the Isle of Wight.

The Isle of Wight Council will be exploring the role of robotics in adult social care, after winning a share of a £700,000 grant from the government.

Nine local authorities, who will be piloting digital projects, have been chosen to share the grant.

On the Isle of Wight, the council will establish a pilot with informal carers — people looking after loved ones in their own home — to see whether the use of exoskeleton devices can assist the carer with their day-to-day manual handling tasks.

A business case and specification shaped by this will be developed, and researched.

Kate Allsop, executive mayor of Mansfield and digital lead on the LGA’s community and wellbeing board, said: “These important projects will improve people’s experience of care and support as part of efforts to support people’s wellbeing. All of this year’s cohort have shown true innovation which made it extremely difficult to decide who to fund for implementation.

“The discovery phase has enabled a detailed study of user needs to determine the scope of some really interesting projects. These projects will add real value to the sector and will push the boundaries of digital innovation for social care across the country.”