A new style of training manikin developed by a company in Corwen, north Wales, is set to revolutionise how emergency services prepare for real-life incidents. With support from the Welsh Government’s Innovation team, Ruth Lee has created RL360 - a mixed-reality technology that combines lifelike movement with digital simulation to help first responders save more lives.
For more than 30 years, the company has supplied realistic training manikins to emergency services, the military and healthcare organisations around the world. Its products are now exported to more than 50 countries through a network of over 40 distributors, with the UK remaining its largest single market.
Ruth Lee began developing RL360 through a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Wrexham University, funded by the Welsh Government and Innovate UK. The project set out to make manikins more realistic and responsive by embedding virtual and mixed-reality capability into their design.
The result is a manikin that can simulate breathing, eye movement, bleeding and medical conditions to replicate complex real-world scenarios. The KTP was graded Outstanding by Innovate UK, recognising its exceptional innovation and the strong collaboration between business and academia.
Darren Griffiths, Managing Director at Ruth Lee, said: “This project has completely changed how we approach innovation. The partnership with Wrexham University gave us access to new skills, ideas and digital capability that helped us move from concept to commercial product in less than two years.
“The support from the Welsh Government’s Innovation team has been critical, helping us embed a culture of innovation across the business and strengthen our global reputation for quality and creativity. For a company based in rural north Wales to be developing technology with worldwide impact is something we’re incredibly proud of.”
The company received earlier Welsh Government innovation support which helped improve manufacturing efficiency by 12% through the introduction of automation and digital processes, followed by SMART Flexible Innovation Support (SMART FIS), which strengthened its product development and R&D capacity.
Over time, this combined support allowed the company to:
- Introduce automated cutting and digital patterning to reduce waste and save production time.
- Develop and commercialise the mixed-reality manikin in partnership with Wrexham University.
- Embed new digital skills across its workforce and strengthen its innovation culture.
- Create new job opportunities in rural north Wales following its acquisition by Protect Medical Group in 2024.
Laura Gough, Head of Enterprise at Wrexham University, said: “This partnership shows what’s possible when business and academia work together. Ruth Lee had a bold vision, and through collaboration we turned that idea into a product that’s transforming how emergency services train.
“It’s also given our students invaluable experience working with cutting-edge technologies and strengthened the link between innovation and real-world impact here in Wales.”
The impact of the company’s innovation has been evident:
- The RL360 has become a flagship innovation within Protect Medical Group.
- Time-to-market for new products has been significantly reduced.
- The company has embedded new digital and mixed-reality capability across its workforce.
- New skilled roles have been created within the company’s R&D team.
- The project’s Outstanding rating has reinforced Wales’s reputation for innovation excellence.
By helping first responders train more effectively, Ruth Lee’s innovation directly supports the missions set out in the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy. It improves health and wellbeing through safer, more realistic emergency training, strengthens the economy by creating skilled jobs and investment in north Wales, and advances education and skills through collaboration with universities.
The company’s continued focus on research, design and manufacturing in Wales underlines how innovation can deliver tangible benefits for people, communities and industries across the nation.
Find out more about how SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS) can support your organisation. Visit Business Wales Innovation to learn more.