National Robotarium accelerates industry development of wind farm robotics

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The National Robotarium is supporting the development of new artificial intelligence and control systems that could enable underwater robots to operate autonomously in turbulent seas, potentially revolutionising maintenance and repair tasks for offshore wind turbines.

The UNITE project, an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership programme led by Heriot-Watt University in collaboration with Imperial College London, is creating new artificial intelligence and control systems in partnership with geo-data specialist Fugro and Heriot-Watt University spinout Frontier Robotics, supported by the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and AI.

“The UNITE project was co-created with Fugro to develop the next generation of autonomy-enabled robotics solutions for offshore inspection and maintenance. We are especially interested in subsea inspection and manipulation in dynamic environments where existing solutions cannot be used.”

– Yvan Petillot, Professor of Robotics at Heriot Watt University and National Robotarium academic lead

“Our trials are showing promising results in enabling underwater robots to maintain stable contact with offshore structures in challenging conditions,” said David Morrison, Project Manager at the National Robotarium. “If successful, the technology could transform offshore wind maintenance, reducing fuel consumption of maintenance missions by up to 97% – from 7,000 litres per day to just 200 litres. This could significantly lower both operational costs and the carbon footprint of maintenance.”

The project demonstrates the National Robotarium’s role in bringing together established companies and emerging innovators. Through its laboratories and testing infrastructure, the facility enables rapid development and validation of commercial solutions. The technology being developed could reduce standard data collection time from three weeks to just three hours.

“With the exponential growth of offshore infrastructure, we need to look towards deploying more AI, robots and autonomy to enable the industry to take advantage of new technologies to work even more efficiently and to scale with the global demand,” said Jonatan Scharff Willners, CEO of Frontier Robotics. “It is great to work closely with Heriot-Watt University, the National Robotarium and Fugro to tackle these highly important problems, which are key components if we want to transition to renewable energy using a greener and more sustainable supply-chain.”

Mark Bruce, Global Product Manager of Next Generation ROV Systems at Fugro, said: “Our USVs and eROV’s deliver unmatched efficiency, hugely reduced environmental impact, and most importantly they eliminate human risk offshore by removing people from harm’s way. Our remote operations centres have been operating for ten years, during which time we have refined and improved our solutions.”

The National Robotarium provides companies with access to laboratories, testing facilities, and specialised equipment, alongside support for commercialisation. Companies working at the facility can connect with researchers, access funding opportunities, and engage with the UK’s broader robotics ecosystem.

The £1.4 million Underwater Intervention for Offshore Renewable Energies (UNITE) project is led by Professor Yvan Petillot from Heriot-Watt University, with Dr. Sen Wang leading Imperial College London’s contributions, and is funded through an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership, part of UK Research and Innovation.

The National Robotarium welcomes contact from energy companies and technology providers interested in exploring the commercial applications of this technology. Email nationalrobotarium@hw.ac.uk or contact our Business Development team.

The National Robotarium and Blantyre LIFE: The future of robotics-assisted care

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Researchers at the National Robotarium are working with an innovative new health and care facility in Lanarkshire to advance development of the next generation of assistive robotics.

Blantyre LIFE, a ground-breaking care development which opened last year, has already forged an international reputation for pioneering increasingly sophisticated care and expertise in the heart of a community. Several fact-finding missions have been undertaken to see how technology is being used to make day-to-day living easier and safer, including service-users having the opportunity to learn how to live independently as possible in a tech-enabled homes.

Now, in a taste of things that could come, South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership have welcomed the arrival of the National Robotarium’s ARI, a ‘social robot’, with human-like characteristics.

Two weeks of research, supported by experts from the Human-Robot Interaction Research group at the National Robotarium, the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, have been underway to gather feedback from health and social care staff on an early robot prototype that aims to assist people recovering after critical injury.

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP said:

“The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff.

“The presence of ARI represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space.

“It also characterises our dedication to helping shape emerging and existing opportunities that rapidly evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.”

The research team is led by the Head of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) at the National Robotarium Professor Lynne Baillie.

Professor Baillie said:

“We’re developing the ARI robot to support the self-management of rehabilitation by patients. The robot will offer verbal instruction and encouragement during exercise sessions as well as using its human-like limbs to physically demonstrate how to do exercises properly.

“We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.”

Whilst patients aren’t yet involved in the research, Carl Bettosi, a PhD student in HRI at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, who is supervised by Professor Baillie, has been working closely with health and social care professionals at Blantyre LIFE to gather data which will inform future versions.

He said: “A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff. To do this, we will develop cutting-edge decision-making techniques driven by machine learning.

“It’s amazing to come to a place like Blantyre LIFE and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion. We hope to work with Blantyre again in the near future.”

The National Robotarium, one of six Data Driven Innovation hubs funded in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, works directly with industry to test and develop robotic, AI and automated technologies, creating innovative solutions to global challenges. Scientists from the facility have been working in tandem with Blantyre LIFE to explore how robotics can support healthcare professionals and improve patient wellbeing.

Lisa Farrell, Business Development Manager, said:

“We’re on a mission at The National Robotarium to create new robotics technologies that can support clinicians and healthcare professionals whilst stimulating growth and innovation within the health services. However, it’s crucial that any robotics solutions are developed with the end user in mind.

“Collaborating with facilities like Blantyre LIFE allows us to work closely with experts in health and social care throughout the testing and development stage. Their lived experience helps us understand their priorities when working with patients, allowing us to build robotic systems that are safe, effective, and user-friendly.”

WATCH: Carl and ARI at Blantyre LIFE:

SOLD OUT Doors Open Day at The National Robotarium – Saturday 28 September

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On Saturday 28 September, The National Robotarium will be open to the general public for Doors Open Day!

Visit us at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus for a tour of our hi-spec labs for Human-Robot Interaction, Robotics and Autonomous Systems and Precision Laser Applications, watch live demonstrations of our quadruped robotic dogs and advanced conversational humanoid Ameca, and test your own robotics skills through hands-on activities.

REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE

Advance booking essential.

 

 

The image shows a humanoid robot interacting with a person wearing VR goggles in an indoor setting.

Robots help guide self-managed rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors

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Robotic ‘coaches’ aiding upper limb rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury survivors have been successfully trialled in Vienna, Austria. This international pilot study was led by researchers from the National Robotarium.

The VITALISE (Virtual Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Infrastructure) project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme and led by the National Robotarium’s Human Robot Interaction (HRI) team, has developed a system where socially assistive robots communicate with patients using a headset that detects brain neural activity.

Developed with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the robot processes these signals to understand the user’s movement intention during exercises, providing real-time verbal motivation, visual mimicry, and feedback as they complete specific movements.

This research aims to make it easier and more engaging for people to adhere to prescribed self-managed rehabilitation routines by providing personalised support based on individual needs, cognitive capability, and exercise pace.

“We envision a future where patients have access to personalised robotic coaches that support clinicians and experts to deliver even more successful rehabilitation journeys.” – Professor Lynne Baillie

Around 80% of acute stroke and brain injury survivors have an upper limb impairment, limiting arm movement. This often long-term impairment can significantly affect an individual’s independent living and daily activities.

Improving functions after cognitive injuries requires task-specific repetitive exercise. However, 60% of stroke survivors may suffer from forgetfulness, and only 31% complete their prescribed rehabilitation routines. Lack of motivation and immediate progress indicators can contribute to this low exercise uptake.

Over three months, the VITALISE team worked with 16 stroke and brain injury survivors and six therapists to test the robot-assisted rehabilitation system’s ability to understand user intention and provide personalised motivation. They explored whether a robot could detect a person’s intended exercise movement using brain signal data and then mimic that motion in real-time to demonstrate an exercise.

Through questionnaires and interviews, researchers gathered feedback on the robot’s success at motivating exercise, building user trust, and overall ease of use. This evaluation has helped investigate the potential for socially assistive robots with neural interfaces to provide tailored support for self-managed rehabilitation.

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.

Lynne Baillie, Professor of Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University and academic lead at the National Robotarium for human-robot interaction, assistive living and health, said:

“We know that sustained, repetitive exercises are crucial for recovery after a stroke or brain injury. However, without supervision, it can be challenging for survivors to stay motivated. Our research shows the incredible potential for these technologies to understand users’ needs and empower them to achieve recovery goals.

“At the National Robotarium, our ambition is to develop automated technologies that assist and empower people, including those managing health conditions, to remain independent in their homes for longer. This successful pilot represents an important milestone toward that vision, demonstrating how we can thoughtfully design robotics to deliver better health outcomes for vulnerable groups like stroke and brain injury survivors.”

Markus Garschall, scientist at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Center for Technology Experience, and Vice President of AAL AUSTRIA, added:

“Especially in the field of eHealth, co-design methods are very helpful and work well. It was important for us to examine the user experience as well as the feasibility of the approach for both people with hemiparesis and physiotherapists.

“At the same time, the transnational collaboration with scientists from Scotland was also very inspiring; we need much more European cooperation and exchange, especially in the healthcare sector.”

The pilot study was funded under the European Union’s Horizon2020 Research and Innovation Programme as part of the larger VITALISE project for advancing rehabilitation infrastructure.

Watch the Vitalise project in action.

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 image depicts a young man speaking to a small group of people in a professional setting. He is wearing a gray polo shirt, jeans, and trainers, with a lanyard and badge around his neck. The group listening to him includes four individuals, three women and one man, who are dressed in business attire. They are standing on a wooden floor in front of a glass wall with the logo "bioliberty" visible in the background. The environment appears to be a modern office or conference space, with natural light filtering in. The individuals are engaged in the discussion, indicating a formal or informative meeting.Scottish Government Flickr

Deputy First Minister announces new £5m funding package at the National Robotarium

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The National Robotarium hosted the newly appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Kate Forbes MSP, on Monday 20 May.

The Cabinet Secretary chose the UK’s centre for robotics and AI as the venue to announce a new £5 million funding package, created by the Scottish Government to boost the economy and attract international investment.

Targeted at start-up businesses, spinouts and female entrepreneurs, the scheme will help deliver end-to-end support as part of the government’s ongoing commitment to developing a world-class technology sector in Scotland.

As part of the visit, led by National Robotarium Business Development Manager, Lisa Farrell, and Chief Operating Officer, Steve Maclaren, alongside Heriot-Watt University’s Vice-Principal and Provost, Professor Steve McLaughlin, the Deputy First Minister met a number of start-up tech companies, who are advancing their business and technology through access to the centre’s high-spec laboratories, office space and robotics expertise.

“Facilities like the National Robotarium are proven to attract a range of talented and dynamic companies in their infancy. However, we need to ensure that we have a supportive infrastructure that allows them to remain in Scotland while they grow their business and scale-up production.”

Lisa Farrell, The National Robotarium

Companies benefitting from the National Robotarium’s business acceleration support include Frontier Robotics, BioLiberty, Crover, Touchlab Ltd., and newest residents, Danu Robotics, all of whom spoke to the Economy Secretary about how crucial centres like the National Robotarium are for growing Scotland’s start-up business community and retaining its tech talent and skills base.

a group of people gathered in a workshop or lab environment.

Agritech start-up Crover shared how they’ve developed their technology since joining the National Robotarium

 

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

“Innovation is at the very heart of our economy. We have the talent, the skills and the facilities to make Scotland one of Europe’s fastest-growing start-up economies: an economy that is strong, successful and dynamic.

“This package of measures, which builds on the multi-million investment the Scottish Government is already making into our start-up business community, forms the next step in providing one of the most comprehensive government-backed support networks in Europe.”

Business Development Manager, Lisa Farrell said:

“It was an honour to host the Deputy First Minister and showcase some of the start-ups that are getting a head-start through our business incubation and acceleration support.

“Facilities like the National Robotarium are proven to attract a range of talented and dynamic companies in their infancy. However, we need to ensure that we have a supportive infrastructure that allows them to remain in Scotland while they grow their business and scale-up production.

“I welcome the announcement that the Scottish Government are committed to delivering additional resource that will foster real economic growth through its start-up community and grow its roster of female entrepreneurs.”

Also in attendance were Mark Logan, Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor to the Scottish Government, and Ana Stewart, a tech entrepreneur and investment partner, who produced a Pathways report last year that highlighted recommendations for improving under-representation of women in entrepreneurship.

The image shows a man engaging in a conversation with three other individuals in a modern office setting.

New resident company Danu Robotics spoke to the Economy Secretary about their automated waste sorting technology

Tackling Frailty (EMERGENCE Network) – Tuesday 4 June, 1000-1600

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Industry representatives from health technology and telecare are invited to attend the next Emergence Healthcare Technologies Network event, taking place at the National Robotarium.

An interactive workshop, participants will explore the use of intelligent and robotic systems for the elderly or frail. Insights into the challenges facing healthcare professionals will be shared, along with hands-on  exploration of new technologies, including robots and smart sensors, in the facility’s living lab.

📌 Tackling Frailty: Facilitating the Emergence of Healthcare Robots from Labs into Services
📅 Tuesday 4 June
🕙 1000-1600
📍 The National Robotarium, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

More information and booking: https://www.emergencerobotics.net/events-and-network-activities/intelligent-systems-for-frailty-edinburgh 

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

Anthropomorphic to Zoomorphic Social Robots: Our Experiences – Wed 22 May, 1200-1300

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Prof. Dr. Patrick C. K. Hung, Faculty of Business and IT, Ontario Tech University, Canada is speaking at the National Robotarium on 22 May.

Join us in the Atrium space from 12-1pm for an insightful talk on the social impacts of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic robots.

No booking required

Abstract
A social robot consists of a physical hardware component that interacts with humans connected through a network infrastructure as a cyber-physical computing system supported by cloud services. Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a research area that involves understanding, designing, and evaluating robots for use by or with humans. The Uncanny Valley theory describes the disturbing effect of imperfect human likenesses that have dominated HRI.

Referring to the Uncanny Valley, social robots usually constitute a form of anthropomorphism. Social robots typically behave like humans or animals, such as mimicry of human/animal behavior and emotional expression, with speech, gestures, movements, and eye-gaze features. Prior research found that it is much easier for an embodied humanoid robot with emotional expression to gain users’ trust to release personal information than a disembodied interactive kiosk. Emotions are essential to human cognition and behavior caused by an identifiable source, such as an event or seeing emotions in other people. During the pandemic, our research team designed and built a homemade robotic puppy with wood and mechatronics with a mechanical tail to express emotion from scratch with body language. This talk will then overview our social-technical research works from anthropomorphic to zoomorphic robots. This talk will also focus on a recent study of a guide dog robot for people with visual impairments in Canada.

Speaker Bio
Patrick C. K. Hung is a Professor and Graduate Program Director of Computer Science at Ontario Tech University, Faculty of Business and Information Technology. He is a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Aston University, England, and an Honorable Guest Professor at Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan. He was also a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Abertay University, Scotland, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Hung worked with Boeing Research and Technology in Seattle on aviation services-related research with two U.S. patents on the mobile network dynamic workflow system. Before that, he was a Research Scientist with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. He is a founding member of the IEEE Technical Committee on Services Computing and IEEE Transactions on Services Computing. In addition, he is an editorial board member for the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and a coordinating editor of the Information Systems Frontiers. He has a Ph.D. and Master in Computer Science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a Master in Management Sciences from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a Bachelor in Computer Science from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

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