Smart glasses and AI filter apps among new tech to transform the mental health of millions
Backing for businesses across the UK will help to take low-cost innovations that support people's mental health to the next level.
- Cutting-edge extended reality backed to deliver real-time mental health support for people across the UK, including those with severe depression and anxiety
- 17 projects supported by share of £3.6 million could treat people in every corner of the UK, helping reduce costs to the NHS and resource pressure with real-time support, turbocharging our Plan for Change
- Smart glasses technology being developed by CrossSense in London shows how AI can help those suffering with severe depression to navigate daily challenges
Smart glasses which help people struggling with severe depression to complete everyday tasks and AI filter apps making therapy for debilitating anxiety less daunting are among the cutting-edge tech projects being backed to deliver real-time mental health support across the UK, Science Minister Lord Vallance has announced today (Thursday 11 September).
With a 40% rise in people receiving mental health support from the NHS in England alone since before the pandemic, Innovate UK is supporting 17 businesses across the UK to take low-cost innovations to the next level to improve lives up and down the country, for the most in need, including in remote or underserved areas.
Developments include light-weight smart glasses which use AI to address the impact illnesses like depression, anxiety and psychosis can have on memory loss, by recognising household objects and offering advice on a connected app.
Technology led by CrossSense helps to reframe negative thoughts while offering step-by-step instructions for carrying out daily tasks, such as keeping vulnerable users safe from harm with prompts like advice to stay away from boiling water on the hob. It adapts to the wearer’s needs over time and helps to prevent cognitive decline, including dementia, so complex mental health conditions are not an unnecessary barrier to fulfilled and independent lives.
Tech will be built and trialled over the next year to 18 months - following £3.6 million of support from Innovate UK’s Mindset extended reality (XR) for digital mental health programme. This investment is part of the government’s commitment to protecting record funding for research and development, as outlined in the Autumn Budget 2024, which recognises that capitalising on the UK’s excellence in science and innovation is essential to seize the opportunities of AI, drive economic growth, and support our NHS.
Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:
These projects are shining examples of how innovation can transform people’s quality of life, by helping those with severe mental health conditions to take on everyday tasks that can otherwise feel impossible.
From smart glasses helping those with debilitating depression to navigate through the day to games helping children to build their social skills, we are supporting teams across the UK to build cutting-edge tech that unlocks opportunity, supports the NHS and grows our economy.
Minister for Mental Health, Baroness Merron, said:
Technology is transforming healthcare and we are putting patients at the heart of this revolution.
New tools such as smart glasses and AI filter apps show how we’re backing innovations to reach people with mental health conditions - especially in communities that often get left behind.
By embracing new tech, we’re improving lives and reducing pressure on the NHS to make healthcare fit for the future, as part of our Plan for Change.
These solutions aim to treat more people, particularly those with complex needs including those in remote or underserved areas, through scalable, immersive care. They also offer further advantages in terms of reduced costs and resource pressure with real-time support; and improved outcomes through personalised, engaging therapeutic experiences.
Other work
Play Well for Life, partnering with the University of the West of England, developing an augmented reality board game, co-produced by students, psychologists and teachers to help get children back into a learning environment where they can thrive. As a group-based game that can be played remotely or in-person it helps children build their communication and social skills by visiting 4 different ‘worlds’ to help them make and keep friends, solve problems and handle emotions, reducing anxiety as the game goes on and in time building confidence.
In Northern Ireland, a project led by Life Process Program is developing a customisable virtual coach for individuals struggling with substance abuse in an interactive environment that mimics real-life therapy sessions, and in West Yorkshire EcoGPX is linking extended reality with physical activities to connect people with nature and support adults living with generalised anxiety.
A world-first app is combining AI with augmented reality to help young people create therapeutic visual content. The work by Photography Based Therapeutics, working with the University of Surrey, will enable young people to edit photographs using familiar AR filter tools, removing elements that cause distress and adding calming features or text overlays. These personalised images can then be used as virtual backgrounds during remote therapy sessions or as part of a visual diary to help therapists understand how patients are feeling about challenging environments like hospital wards.
The funded projects are part of a targeted investment to unlock the transformative power of XR technologies, including creative, VR, augmented reality, mixed reality, haptics – tech that stimulates the senses of touch and motion – and immersive software and audio. These breakthrough technologies are medical devices available through the NHS following clinical diagnosis, or privately through regulated channels that ensure safety and appropriate use.
Projects are looking to address a wide range of clinically recognised conditions that affect education, employment, and quality of life including addiction recovery, ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, occupational stress, PTSD and more.
The government has recently launched its 10 Year Health Plan which sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. We are transforming services nationally with an extra £688 million, hiring more mental health workers, delivering more talking therapies and providing better access to support through the NHS App.
Dr Cynthia Bullock, Director, Healthy Lives at Innovate UK, said:
Through this latest Mindset investment, we’re fostering powerful collaborations between the UK’s immersive technology sector and mental health providers, moving beyond general wellbeing tools toward innovative treatments for people with mental health conditions.
These research and development projects are designed to improve the impairment, disability and distress experienced by individuals at any stage of life across the UK.
By supporting these innovations, Innovate UK is unlocking solutions with the power to drive business growth and maximise both social and economic impact.
Notes to editors
- Over 3.7 million people received support from England’s NHS mental health services in 2023-2024, an increase of nearly 40% since before the pandemic.
- We are recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament to help to ease pressure on busy mental health services. 6,700 of these workers have been recruited since July 2024, meaning we are more than halfway towards this target.
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