Ultrasound tech set to be showcased at Royal Society exhibition
Published: 30 June 2025
Pioneering ultrasound technology research from Scottish universities will be on public display at a prestigious national science showcase this week.
Pioneering ultrasound technology research from Scottish universities will be on public display at a prestigious national science showcase this week.
The work of researchers at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Ultrasonic Engineering (FUSE CDT) has been selected to be part of the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition in London between Tuesday 1 July and Sunday 6 July.
FUSE CDT is led by researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. The University of Dundee and King's College London are further supporting the exhibition.
The largest academic ultrasound engineering unit in the world, FUSE CDT aims to train the next generation of ultrasound technology experts and build the skilled workforce required to enable new medical applications for ultrasound.
FUSE CDT’s exhibit at the show, titled ‘Focused Energy: Extraordinary Ultrasonics!’ will offer visitors a range of hands-on, interactive experiences designed to make complex scientific concepts more accessible.
This interactive exhibit features six hands-on demonstrations that showcase the diverse applications of ultrasound technology, and help visitors understand the science which underpins their development.
Attendees will be able to create standing waves using skipping ropes, experience echolocation like bats through specially designed helmets, and witness polystyrene beads floating in ultrasonic fields made visible with smoke.
The displays also demonstrate medical applications including ultrasonic bone cutting and healing tools, smart drug delivery capsules that create targeted treatment streams, and incisionless neurosurgery techniques where visitors can use iPads to target brain conditions like tremors.
Professor Sandy Cochran, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, is the co-director of FUSE CDT. He said: "We’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the work of FUSE CDT at one of the UK’s most prestigious showcases for science.
“Ultrasound is familiar to most people through pregnancy scans, but we're pushing the boundaries of what this technology can achieve in medicine. We’ve worked hard to ensure our exhibits will bring those technologies to life in ways that are entertaining and educational, and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to our stand.”
Professor James Windmill, Director of the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering at the University of Strathclyde said: “The exhibition by FUSE CDT demonstrates the strength and depth of ultrasound engineering research within the UK and shows us how university research benefits so many people worldwide.”
First published: 30 June 2025