A close-up of the "Robo Barista 2025" robotic coffee-making system, featuring a humanoid head with a projected face, wearing a black cap and scarf.Chris Barron

Social robot brings residents together at housing complex

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A housing provider in North East England has enlisted a conversational robot from The National Robotarium to explore how humans interact with robotics in a social setting.

The AI-empowered humanoid Furhat robot has been installed in North Star Housing’s Aspen Gardens communal bistro area, where it will have conversations with residents and visitors while taking orders and preparing hot drinks through an automated coffee machine.

Along with friends and family, residents – many of whom require additional care at the complex – will provide feedback to The National Robotarium’s researchers so lessons can be learned about how humans prefer to interact with robots and whether they can be adopted to tackle loneliness.

To enable the robot to engage in meaningful conversations with residents, it has been programmed with information about the local area, its history and local celebrities. It can also provide updates on activities taking place at Aspen Gardens, encouraging residents to participate and socialise with each other.

Fred Connor, 87 (pictured below), was one of the Furhat’s first customers. “It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it, but we have to embrace change, so it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on.”

An elderly man is sitting in a wheelchair while interacting with a robotic coffee-making system labeled "Robo Barista," which has a humanoid head with a neutral expression, wearing a black cap and scarf.

The idea for the partnership between North Star and The National Robotarium resulted from a creative workshop involving North Star staff facilitated by Durham-based IT consultancy Waterstons.

Alex Waterston, Associate Director of Innovation said: “From our point of view, this is really exciting because it’s a new challenge for us at Waterstons – using technology to free up time to provide better customer service. If that can be achieved, it’s going to be really worthwhile.”

Leading the project is Heriot-Watt PhD student Bruce Wilson, David Robb and Dr Theodoros Georgiou (pictured below, far left), Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University and The National Robotarium.

He said:  “This collaboration with North Star is a vital part of our wider research initiative to understand how humans and robots interact in real-world settings.

“The data we gather will inform the future development of robotics across multiple sectors, particularly in social care where such technology could transform service delivery.

Three men stand together in front of a robotic coffee-making system called "Robo Barista," smiling and holding mugs.

[l-r] Dr Theo Georgiou, Alex Waterston, Associate Director of Innovation at Waterstons and Sean Lawless, Director of Insight and Transformation at North Star Housing

Lisa Farrell is Business Development Manager at The National Robotarium and facilitates new partnerships between industry and robotics. She said:

“By placing conversational robots in communities like Aspen Gardens, we’re not just conducting research – we’re advancing our understanding of how AI and robotics can genuinely improve quality of life for elderly residents while addressing pressing challenges in the care sector.

“This project represents a critical step in the National Robotarium’s mission to create people-centred, intelligence-driven robotic solutions that can be widely deployed to support an ageing population.”

Bruce Wilson is leading the project as part of his PhD in Robotics

The launch of the project was featured on BBC Radio Tees, BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria) and The Northern Echo.

UNITE consortium shortlisted for Scottish Knowledge Exchange Award

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The UNITE project, an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership programme spearheaded by The National Robotarium and Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with Imperial College London, has reached the finals of the prestigious Interface Scottish Knowledge Exchange awards.

The project team, which includes global geo-data specialists Fugro and Heriot-Watt spinout technology company Frontier Robotics, is developing advanced AI and autonomous systems for undertaking remote inspections of offshore wind farms to offer a safe, efficient and sustainable solution for global energy providers.

The Scottish KE awards, now in their 10th year, highlight the exceptional collaborations that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits for Scotland. UNITE has been nominated within the Multi-party Collaboration category, in recognition of the consortium’s innovative knowledge exchange, bringing together a legacy of science, industry expertise and emerging technologies to tackle a real-world challenge.

Surface vessel and autonomous underwater robot undergoing trials in Heriot-Watt University's wave tank facility

UNITE aims to develop autonomous, electric remotely-operated vehicles (eROVs) to conduct maintenance and repair on offshore wind turbines

Professor Yvan Petillot is academic co-lead at The National Robotarium and leads the UNITE project at Heriot-Watt.
He said: “It’s an honour to be shortlisted for a Scottish KE Award. By harnessing advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and subsea engineering with the aim of transforming offshore maintenance and directly supporting Scotland’s net-zero ambitions, we think the UNITE project is an excellent example of truly impactful Knowledge Exchange.”

Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, which organises the Awards, said: “At Interface, we are proud to deliver the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards on behalf of Scotland’s vibrant innovation ecosystem.

“These awards are more than just a celebration of achievements—they showcase the transformative power of collaboration between academia and industry. Each finalist represents the spirit of partnership, driving solutions that create lasting economic, environmental, and social impact.”

The Interface Scottish KE Awards will take place at Edinburgh Futures Institute on 19th March. 

 

Esteemed ELLIS Fellowship for academic co-lead Professor Oliver Lemon

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Professor of AI and academic co-lead at The National Robotarium, Oliver Lemon, has been elected as a new Fellow by the esteemed European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), a pan-European network of AI centres of excellence.

Professor Lemon’s Fellowship was announced in December 2024, alongside 160 other machine learning researchers recognised for their contributions to advancing science and shaping the future of machine learning in Europe. He now joins a prestigious network of outstanding AI scientists, with numerous opportunities for professional exchange, collaborations, workshops and conferences.

Alongside more junior ELLIS Scholars, the ELLIS Fellows participate in cross-national research programmes, which aim to push scientific boundaries connecting top researchers in fields including Human-Centred Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Collaborative AI.

“Joining the ELLIS Network is a privilege, offering the opportunity to collaborate on significant advances in AI science with leading European researchers.” – Professor Oliver Lemon

As academic lead at The National Robotarium, Professor Lemon directs pioneering AI and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research at Heriot-Watt University, developing generative AI models that advance assistive and conversational robotics.

Recent successes led by Professor Lemon include SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) –  an international study which successfully trialled AI-powered assistive robots in an elder-care hospital in Paris, catapulting his research team into the global spotlight, with features in The Times newspaper and TIME Magazine, when the findings were published in January 2024.

Professor Lemon said: “Joining the ELLIS Network is a privilege, offering the opportunity to collaborate on significant advances in AI science with leading European researchers.

“Recent breakthroughs in AI, particularly the rapid adoption of generative models, are significantly impacting lives and work. While these advances herald an exciting new era, robust research and innovation are crucial for ensuring a human-centered, beneficial, and safe AI future in Europe.

“Joining the ELLIS Network provides a collaborative environment for connection and exchange, and I look forward to working with fellow inductees to advance scientific excellence in modern AI research”

Nicolò Cesa-Bianchi, Chair of ELLIS Fellows & Fellows Selection Committees, said: “ELLIS Fellows & Scholars are the fabric of the ELLIS network, which they shape and grow through their contributions. This new group of outstanding researchers is joining the network after being selected among over 200 exceptional applicants. Together with them, we will continue to work to keep ELLIS at the forefront of research and innovation in AI and Machine Learning.”

Our response to The AI Opportunities Action Plan

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On Monday 13 January, UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, announced the AI Opportunities Action Plan an ambitious, 10-year programme to to capture the opportunities of AI to enhance growth and productivity and create tangible benefits for UK citizens.

In response to the announcement, CEO of the National Robotarium, Stewart Miller said:

“Today’s announcement of the AI Opportunities Action Plan represents a significant step forward for the UK’s technology sector. As the physical manifestation of AI in our world, robotics will be crucial to delivering the Government’s vision for AI-driven economic growth and public service transformation.

“At the National Robotarium, we’re already demonstrating how AI-enabled robotics can transform healthcare delivery, support offshore energy maintenance, and drive manufacturing innovation. The commitment to establish AI Growth Zones and increase compute capacity will be particularly valuable in accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation robotics solutions.

“However, to fully realise the £47 billion annual economic opportunity identified by the UK Government, we must ensure robotics is given equal priority alongside AI software development. The National Robotarium stands ready to support this agenda through our work in developing AI-enabled robotics solutions, training the next generation of robotics engineers, and helping businesses adopt these transformative technologies.

“We look forward to working closely with the Government to ensure robotics plays a central role in delivering the promised decade of national renewal.”

More about the AI Opportunities Action Plan

The AI Opportunities Action Plan, a set of 50 recommendations for government, was led by Matt Clifford CBE, tech entrepreneur and Chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

This document has 50 recommendations for government to:

  • grow the UK’s AI sector
  • drive adoption of AI across the economy to boost growth
  • improve products and services

Read the full report.

 

Renowned author to interview Ameca humanoid robot on-stage at Edinburgh Futures Institute

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Ameca, one of the world’s most advanced humanoids, will take to the stage for a one-on-one interview with nationally decorated author Jeanette Winterson, as part of the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) official launch event.

The robot, recently installed at The National Robotarium, a world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University, will share its thoughts on the rapid advancement of AI in society and how people’s lives, work and learning will be impacted by the development of these technologies.

Also speaking at the event, taking place 7 October, is the National Robotarium’s Head of Robotics, Dr Ingo Keller, who will join a panel discussion with Jeanette and Chair JL Williams for a deep-dive into the future of robots and how human trust and relationships robots will evolve as the technology gets increasingly more sophisticated.

‘Jeanette Winterson: In Conversation with Ameca’ kicks-off EFI’s new season of events, Learning Curves, its first since renovation work was completed on the building. It also marks the first joint event delivered by EFI and The National Robotarium, both partner hubs of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, funded as part of the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal to make the region the data capital of Europe.

Get your FREE ticket at: https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/jeanette-winterson-in-conversation-with-ameca/

For more information on EFI’s Learning Curves autumn programme, including links to other events, visit: https://efi.ed.ac.uk/learning-curves-autumn-2024/

Ben Glasgow

BLOG: “Ameca, do you like Taylor Swift?” Coming face-to-face with one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots.

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The chance for children to meet advanced humanoid robots like Ameca reveals the potential for artificial intelligence to enhance learning in schools, says Schools and Industry Engagement Lead at the National Robotarium,  Michelle McLeod

Last month, we welcomed students from Lasswade Primary and High Schools to the National Robotarium here at Heriot-Watt University to meet Ameca, one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots.

As robots become more commonplace in classrooms and other child-focused environments, understanding how children form trusting relationships with these machines will be crucial. With this insight, we can design robots to more effectively collaborate with teachers and help to educate children.

We’ve done considerable research on human-robot interaction. One of our studies found that a robot’s ability to reliably perform its intended function is the most significant predictor of whether humans will trust it. In other words, if a robot consistently completes its tasks as expected, humans are more likely to have confidence in the machine.

A similar but separate study by scientists in Sweden, Germany, and Australia, shed some light on how children in particular perceive, and trust robots compared to humans. The research revealed that children tend to trust robots more than humans, believing that when the humans in the study made mistakes they were doing so on purpose, while the robots were not seen as making intentional errors.

So, why is trust between humans and robots so important? Their potential applications in education aside, it is increasingly likely that robots will become ubiquitous in the workplaces of the future so if we can get our young people comfortable living and working with them early, it will make that transition much easier.

This is why we invested in Ameca. We want to use it to engage with people of all ages to try and demystify robotics, to break down the barriers often associated with the apprehension of interacting with a machine that looks a lot like you.

Ameca’s makers, Engineered Arts, designed Ameca so that it mimics human behaviour as realistically as possible, maintaining eye contact and using familiar facial expressions and hand gestures, which are part of how humans interact with each other.

The young people who visited today were clearly awestruck by Ameca. Their eyes lit up when they walked through the door and saw it for the first time, some grinning from ear to ear, one little girl’s mouth dropped open, another mouthed a silent ‘wow’. They were initially unsure how to interact with Ameca but after a little prompting the questions started to flow.

“Would you like to be human?”, “Can you feel emotions?”, “What is 1,000 plus 1,000?”, and even, “Ameca, do you like Taylor Swift?”. (Turns out it does, or at least “can appreciate the emotional depth of her music”.)

The children then drew pictures for Ameca to identify. Most were of simple things like apples, or a spaceship, which it was easily able to recognise. Impressively, it was also able to identify that one child had drawn more irregular than regular pentagons on their page. Ameca’s blatant cheating at ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, however, making its choice after the child it was playing had revealed his, wasn’t so impressive.

By the end of the visit, the children were posing for selfies with Ameca, and a bond had clearly been formed. One little boy even returned to the room after a break, ran up to Ameca with his arms outstretched and shouted, “Ameca, it’s me, I’m back!”.

Ameca has limitations. It hasn’t been created to walk, for example, and does lose focus if too many people speak at once, so it won’t necessarily be the robot we find moving amongst us in the years to come but there is a higher purpose.

Research with school-aged children shows puppets , like a favourite doll or teddy bear, can encourage learning and improve communication and behaviour. Talking to a puppet, as opposed to a person, makes the conversation feel less personal and more pretend. It is a play-based technique sometimes used in therapy to help the child feel less self-conscious and open up.
We believe it’s the same with robots. In terms of interacting with artificial intelligence, for example, Ameca allows children to explore systems in a natural conversational manner, rather than battering questions into something like ChatGPT.

I think the questions the children were asking today showed their curiosity and interest in robotics and AI. That they so quickly adapted to Ameca was interesting, they were talking to it as if it was something more than a robot, as if it had a human personality. That’s a good sign.

Originally published in TES magazine on 24 July 2024.

Adobe stock

Fruit farmers can predict crops using AI tool

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A new AI system that counts flowers on fruit trees is helping farmers to predict harvest sizes months in advance, making crop yields more efficient, sustainable, and profitable.

Developed by researchers at the National Robotarium, alongside scientific partners in Chile and Spain, the system uses images taken with a standard smartphone to accurately estimate the number of flowers on a fruit tree by recognising patterns and features, such as the edges and shapes of petals, even when they overlap or are partially obscured.

When tested on peach orchards in Catalonia, Spain, the AI predicted flower counts with a 90% accuracy – a significant improvement on current manual methods used by farmers, such as counting by eye or taking area samples, which can have error rates of 30-50%.

By providing more precise yield forecasts up to six months before harvest, the system could help growers optimise water use, allocate human and economic resources more efficiently, and better plan harvesting and distribution logistics.

It’s estimated that agriculture uses 65% of the world’s fresh water, almost half of which is wasted, whilst approximately 45% of fruit and vegetables produced for human consumption are lost or wasted every year across the global supply chain.

Researchers from the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and AI based in Edinburgh, will validate the AI’s predictions against the actual peach harvest in September 2024. If proven effective, they believe the approach could be adapted for other important crops like apples, pears and cherries, benefiting fruit growers in Britain, Europe and beyond.

The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.5 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.

Dr Fernando Auat Cheein is associate professor in robotics and autonomous systems at the National Robotarium. He said:

“In countries all across the world, farmers often rely on manual methods to estimate their yields, which can have a significant error margin. By leveraging the power of AI and the convenience of off-the-shelf technology like smartphones, our approach seamlessly integrates with traditional farming practices, making it easier for growers to embrace and benefit from innovative solutions without overhauling their existing methods.

“Throughout the project, we worked closely with peach farmers in Spain to understand their challenges and ensure the system met their requirements. The farmers appreciated the simplicity and accuracy of the flower counting AI, noting its potential to help them make more informed decisions about crop management, such as targeted pruning and herbicide application. By focusing their efforts on areas of the farm that are expected to yield the most fruit, farmers can optimise resources, reduce their environmental footprint, and maximise both the quantity and quality of their harvest.

“While our research has focused on peaches, the principles behind this technology could be applied to a wide range of fruit crops worldwide, including those grown in the UK. As part of the National Robotarium’s mission to use AI and robotics to drive sustainable and productive agriculture, we collaborate closely with industry partners to develop innovative solutions that tackle real-world challenges, aiming to create tangible benefits for farmers, society, and the environment alike.”

The research project has been developed by academics and researchers from the National Robotarium, the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Federico Santa Maria Technical University (Valparaiso, Chile) and Universidad Andres Bello (Chile).

The National Robotarium is at the forefront of driving innovation in agriculture through the application of AI and robotics. Its world-class researchers collaborate with industry partners to develop cutting-edge solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing the agriculture sector, from improving crop yields and quality to reducing environmental impact and enhancing sustainability.

If you’re interested in learning how the National Robotarium can help your sector, please get in touch with our Business Development team.

The Children’s Parliament – Exploring Children’s Perspectives of AI, Thurs 6 June, 1200-1400

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Researchers, engineers and students working in Artificial Intelligence are invited to the National Robotarium for an insightful session with the Children’s Parliament.

During the session, they will present the outcomes of their participatory engagement project with school children that, for past two years, has been delving into the intersections of children’s human rights and the development, use, and regulation of AI in Scotland. This initiative marks a significant milestone in involving children in the discourse surrounding AI.

Throughout their comprehensive work with four key schools and 13 Investigator MCPs (Members of Children’s Parliament), they discovered that children had received minimal education on AI concepts and applications. Although many children have access to AI-enabled devices in their personal lives, their understanding of AI’s extensive usage and potential impacts is often limited. This lack of understanding means they are not always empowered to be proactive users of AI, relying heavily on adults for guidance.

The team was inspired by the innovative ideas and recurring themes shared by the children. In this lunchtime session, they will highlight the children’s calls to action for consideration in future research projects.

Book your place via Eventbrite

‘World’s most advanced’ humanoid robot arrives at the National Robotarium

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A robot that can wink, laugh, and shrug is about to turn the National Robotarium in Edinburgh into its first home in the UK.

Ameca, which is made by British company Engineered Arts, will be used as part of the facility’s outreach work with school pupils and the general public to study humans’ reactions to robots.

The National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) based at Heriot-Watt University in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, has purchased Ameca, making it the first place in the UK to have this state-of-the-art humanoid robot.

Described by Engineered Arts as the ‘world’s most advanced’ humanoid robot, Ameca’s sophisticated features include embedded microphones, cameras, facial recognition software, and articulated motorised components which enable it to interact with people in a natural and engaging way. By showcasing Ameca’s capabilities through its public outreach and education programmes, the National Robotarium will seek to break down barriers and build trust between humans and robots.

Ameca will be utilised as part of the National Robotarium’s outreach and engagement programme, helping to build trust in robotics and improve adoption.

The facility’s dedicated public engagement team will feature Ameca at various events, school visits, and workshops across Scotland and beyond, providing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to interact directly with the robot and learn about the latest advancements in robotics and AI.

Researchers will also utilise Ameca to study public perceptions and attitudes towards humanoid robots, gathering valuable insights to inform the development of future technologies that prioritise trust, transparency, and user-friendliness.

Steve Maclaren is Chief Operating Officer at the National Robotarium. He said:

“The arrival of Ameca at the National Robotarium marks a significant step forward in our mission to make robotics more accessible and relatable to the people of Scotland, the UK and beyond. Since opening our doors in September 2022, we’ve successfully hosted more than 50 in-person and virtual events and engaged with 1000s of school-aged children.

“Ameca represents an exciting opportunity to build on that success and take public engagement to the next level. By giving people the chance to interact with this state-of-the-art humanoid robot firsthand, we aim to demystify robotics, foster trust in human-robot interaction, and showcase the remarkable potential of these technologies to improve our daily lives and benefit society as a whole.”

Will Jackson is the founder and CEO of Engineered Arts Ltd. He said:

“We are incredibly proud to have Ameca join the many preeminent robots at the National Robotarium. Meeting an AI-embodied humanoid robot is a unique experience that very few people have witnessed and we are very excited to be able to share what can be a profound moment with a wider audience.”

The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.5 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.

 

Socially assistive robots deployed in Paris hospital to ease pressure on staff and reassure patients

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Next-generation socially assistive robots have been successfully tested in a healthcare setting to assist patients, alleviate their anxiety, and relieve pressure on nursing staff as part of a hospital trial co-conducted by researchers from the National Robotarium in Paris, France.

The SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) trial developed robots equipped with advanced artificial intelligence to enable natural conversations, understand patient needs, and assist hospital staff with routine tasks across three waves of experiments with elderly volunteers at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris.

Results show that robots were able to smoothly engage in social interactions like greeting patients, answering questions, and providing directions. Critically, robots are quickly demonstrating an ability to comprehend multi-party conversations – following dialogue between several individuals simultaneously.

By undertaking simple but repetitive duties, robots also reduced potential physical contact between clinicians and patients as part of the trial, with early feedback suggesting the use of socially assistive robots may lower infection transmission risk, while boosting productivity of nurses and doctors.

Anxiety and uncertainty can often precede a hospital visit and it is understood that this behaviour can be more pronounced in senior patients, with up to 20% of older adults suffering from the illness1. It is hoped that the availability of helpful and socially intelligent robots that can converse and answer initial screening questions whilst alleviating busy hospital staff could prove extremely beneficial in clinical settings.

Patients and companions make their enquiries with the ARI robot

 

Professor Anne-Sophie Rigaud, Head of Department at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, said:

“Our patients are increasingly interested in robotics and the evolution of hospital services, which they see as the logical evolution of our society. We believe that the ARI robot could in future become an essential element of patient care in hospitals, thanks to its capacity for social interaction and guidance.

“Older adults have also expressed that they’re pleased with the design of the robot and thought that it would be useful to provide information and companionship to patients with cognitive disorders.”

The feasibility of implementing the SPRING project has been made possible by academics at the National Robotarium who have made major advances in developing large language models (LLM) that enable robots to be capable of natural and fluent conversations with groups of people.

The Paris trials have provided key insights into how this emerging technology can enhance care delivery and safety whilst simultaneously advancing innovations in areas like computer vision, audio processing and human-robot interaction which have potential for further global applications.

The €8.4 million collaborative SPRING project includes researchers from Heriot Watt University, the National Robotarium, the Czech Technical University, Bar Ilan University Israel, University of Trento Italy, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, PAL Robotics Spain, ERM AUtomatismes France, and is coordinated by Inria France. SPRING received support from Horizon 2020, a programme funded by the European Union.

The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government. The initiative aims to turn Edinburgh into the data capital of Europe and is part of the wider £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.

Professor Oliver Lemon

Professor Oliver Lemon, academic co-lead at the National Robotarium

Oliver Lemon is a professor of AI and academic co-lead at the National Robotarium. He said:

“Today’s rapid advances in AI are truly inspiring and open up a world of possibilities for its positive impact on various sectors, including healthcare. One of the most significant contributions of robotics and AI is its ability to conserve resources and alleviate human workload, therefore providing valuable new tools for enhancing healthcare delivery.

“The prospect of robots seamlessly collaborating with hospital staff to enhance the patient experience is now closer to reality. Promising initial trials at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris have demonstrated our robot’s ability to converse effectively with patients and their companions simultaneously.

“We believe that the SPRING project marks a significant milestone in the development of interactive robotics, and we are proud of its achievements, while recognising the exciting challenges that lie ahead.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland, Malcolm Offord, said:

“The early trials into helper robots successfully demonstrates the great potential such advanced technology has to deliver vital support to health staff, improve patient care and prevent the spread of infections and diseases.

“The UK Government has invested £21 million in the National Robotarium helping foster world-leading research and support high quality jobs, investment and growth, as part of our more than £2.9 billion investment to level up across Scotland.”

Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary, Neil Gray, said:

“I welcome this progress using artificial intelligence to help ease the pressure on health service staff.

“With Scottish Government support, the National Robotarium is using cutting edge research to help drive innovation and artificial intelligence to deliver creative solutions to real world challenges.”

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