The 175th edition of the Great Exhibition Road Festival was an unforgettable success. My favourite part was seeing the public's bright smiles and excitement as they interacted with our stand."
Charel Junior Mangama Sindzi, PhD student, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
29 June 2026
Bringing RoboDoc to Great Exhibition Road Festival 2026
Visitors to the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2026 were invited to explore the world of robotics and medical imaging through RoboDoc: Robots and Radiation in Healthcare, an interactive activity led by the School’s EPSRC Smart Medical Imaging CDT students.
Marking 175 years since the Great Exhibition of 1851, the annual event attracted an estimated 57,000 visitors and united science, technology and the arts in a lively celebration of innovation and public engagement.
Among the highlights in the 'Be A Scientist' zone was the School's 'RoboDoc: Robots and Radiation in Healthcare' activity led by EPSRC Smart Medical Imaging CDT students Charel Junior Mangama Sindzi and Cliona Ni Chochlain, and Surgical and Interventional Engineering PhD student Adam Axelrod, with support from Senior Outreach Officer Esther Osarfo-Mensah.
'RoboDoc' invited attendees to explore how medical imaging and tools have evolved over the past 175 years and to learn how radiation is safely used to detect disease. In addition, visitors engaged with a variety of interactive elements, including a “True or False” myth-busting game and a feedback wall where participants could learn and share their views on the role of robots in healthcare settings.
One of the most popular attractions was the robot-assisted version of the classic game Operation, which allowed participants to control a robotic arm. The activity demonstrated concepts used in precision robot surgery, which is an area of focus in Adam's doctoral research.
The team was supported by 12 volunteers who helped engage hundreds of visitors: Patricia Jensen, Dr Nikola Fischer, Dr Michelle Ma, AbdelRahman Sultan, Dr Miguel Shibata, Giselle Tang, Sarah Geha, Freya Hammers, Dr Asma Akter, Wing Yu Tse, Heqing Rong, and Yinka Fabusuyi.
Being around people who share a curiosity and fascination for science, learning from each other and inspiring young people made the GERF a wonderful experience. It was amazing how some kids knew a lot about niche topics!”
Sarah Geha, Student, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
The team is grateful to the wider support network that made the “RoboDoc” possible, including Imperial College London’s Great Exhibition Road Festival organisers, Dr Maria Ocampo-Hafalla, the Smart Medical Imaging CDT, Professor Christos Bergeles, and the King’s Doctoral School for awarding the public engagement small grant that supported the project.
Additionally, Professor Tom Vercauteren took part in an expert panel during a special live recording of the Robot Talk podcast at the Festival, where he discussed how robotics and AI are reshaping healthcare and the future of medicine. Listen to the podcast.
In this story
PhD Student
Senior Outreach Officer
Professor of Interventional Image Computing