innovation Archives

VIDEO: What is the Robotics Revolution?

1 August 2024/in industry, News, Scottish Government, UK Government, Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

In March 2024, at the Houses of Parliament, the National Robotarium launched ‘Reaping the Rewards of the Robotics Revolution’, an ambitious policy plan outlining the five steps needed to make the UK an active player in the global robotics economy.

But, what is the Robotics Revolution? And how can the UK play its part?

In our latest video, Chief Executive Officer Stewart Miller, Business Development expert Lisa Farrell, and Dr Lorenzo Conti, Director and Co-Founder of industry residents Crover, outline the success of the National Robotarium model in supporting the development of new robotics technologies, driving homegrown innovations, and futureproofing the UK’s workforce, and economy, for an increasingly roboticised future.

“Robots to the Rescue: Safer, Smarter, Speedier Quality and Inspection Processes” – 8-11 July, Newcastle Racecourse

18 June 2024/in Engineering, industry, Previous Events, Public engagement and outreach, Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

New partnership will safeguard remote technologies for healthcare

5 June 2024/in Human-Robot Interaction, industry, News, Partnership working, Research, Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

The National Robotarium has signed a new MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Corps Monitoring that will underpin the safe development of technologies for healthcare and other sectors.

The agreement, which was co-signed by Robotarium CEO Stewart Miller and CEO of Corps Monitoring Mike Bullock, during a visit to the National Robotarium on 3 June, kick-starts a collaboration that will focus on improving security and monitoring services for the social care sector.

Researchers in Human-Robot Interaction at Heriot-Watt University are developing applications, such as smart sensors and remote technologies, to enhance care provision in assisted-living environments. One current project involves the deployment of assistive robots within a real-use care organisation being led by Associate Professor Dr Mauro Dragone in partnership with Blackwood Homes and Care Services. Corps Monitoring, a division of Corps Security, will apply its extensive expertise in specialist security solutions to ensure these technologies are deployed safely, with enhanced cybersecurity to protect patient data and information.

The image shows three individuals in an indoor tech lab. One man is on the left, casually dressed in a black polo shirt, facing two individuals who are dressed in business attire. The person on the right is a woman wearing a black dress with a patterned design and a black blazer, while the man in the centre is wearing a suit with a red tie.On the table in front of them is a white robotic device shaped like an animal, with a red collar.

Dr Mauro Dragone (far-left), who leads the Laboratory for Assisted Robotic Living at the National Robotarium

“The aim of our partnership with the National Robotarium, is to improve the quality of life for many whilst striving forward with innovative technology advances.” Andrea Strong, MD of Corps Monitoring

National Robotarium Business Development Manager Lisa Farrell, who spearheaded the partnership, led the visit. She said:

“We were delighted to welcome Andrea and Mike to the National Robotarium to co-sign our new partnership agreement with Corps Monitoring.

“Our researchers are making huge advancements into the use of smart sensors, data analysis and machine vision to support greater independent living, however their security is a must if they are to be adopted by care providers on a wider scale.

“The expertise of Corps Monitoring will help underpin the safe development of these technologies, ensuring patient data remains private and protected and maintaining confidence within the sector.”

Andrea Strong, Managing Director of Corps Monitoring, also attended the signing. She said:

“The advancement of technology is moving at such a rapid pace. This partnership won’t just allow us to ‘keep up’ but to be ahead of the curve. By focusing on innovations that not only enhances independent living within the varying care sectors but aids the security and other sectors in general.

“The aim of our partnership with the National Robotarium, is to improve the quality of life for many whilst striving forward with innovative technology advances.”

Scottish Government Flickr

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

21 May 2024/in Heriot-Watt University, industry, Industry residents, News, Scottish Government/by Louise Jack

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

The National Robotarium appoints first Head of Robotics

29 August 2023/in Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, industry, News, Research, Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

Dr Ingo Keller has been appointed as the first Head of Robotics at the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

A software, AI and robotics engineer with over 20 years of experience in science and industry, Ingo will lead the facility’s growing team of robotics engineers as they test and develop new technologies and systems to address real-world challenges. Current projects include robotics for sectors including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, aerospace and fisheries.

Ingo has in-depth, hands-on experience with a multitude of robotic systems, including all phases of software development, life-cycle management and DevOps tooling. He has co-founded a number of start-up technology companies in software architecture and database management systems, developing a keen understanding of the potential of applied emerging technologies for addressing industry challenges.

Prior to his new role, he was Chief Technology Officer at Xihelm, a London-based robotic harvesting solutions company, where he worked while completing a PhD in Data Augmentation for Human-Robot Interaction at Heriot-Watt University, where the National Robotarium is based.

On his new appointment, Ingo said: “I’m delighted to join the National Robotarium team at this exciting stage of its development and lead on the creation of robotics, AI and engineering systems that can truly transform people’s lives and work. My goal is to get more robots out of the lab and into the wild, and being able to talk directly to industry leaders about their challenges means we can develop safe, practical, and effective robotic technologies that can be seamlessly integrated into society.

“I’m also passionate about sharing the knowledge and expertise of our talented team to build robotics skills in different sectors, ensuring people are equipped with the tools they need to operate and manage robotics and AI, and promoting the positive benefits of these technologies to all.”

Stewart Miller, Chief Executive Officer, said: “The appointment of Ingo as our first Head of Robotics is an important and exciting milestone for the National Robotarium. He is passionate about applying his extensive expertise to new and interdisciplinary problem spaces and will be a great ambassador, working with experts in all fields of science and industry to advance state-of-the-art robotics systems.”

a group of people smiling and standing inside on stairs

8th Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards launched at the National Robotarium

5 October 2022/in Heriot-Watt University, Previous Events, Research, Scottish Government, University of Edinburgh, Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

The eighth Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards has opened for entries, following a celebratory launch event at the new National Robotarium facility.

Interface, an organisation committed to developing and supporting collaborations between business and research communities in Scotland, will host the Awards ceremony in person on Thursday 23 March, 2023.

The Awards acknowledge collaborations from businesses, social enterprises, public sector organisations, third sector, universities, research institutes, innovation centres and colleges.

The eighth Awards were launched by Mr Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, at an event for past winners.

Business Minister Ivan McKee said: “It was great to be part of the launch event for 2023 Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards (SKEAs), celebrating the innovative collaborations between business and the research community across Scotland.

“I have been involved with the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards for a number of years now and always look forward to hearing more about the impact of these business-academic partnerships across all sectors of industry, helping to tackle some of society’s big challenges and making Scotland a more resilient nation.”

Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, added: “It is important we acknowledge the impact of these unique partnerships and celebrate the achievements of the individuals who are driving growth, prosperity and innovation in our local communities.”

The awards were launched at the new National Robotarium, the largest and most advanced applied research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence in the UK. Located on Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, the vibrant hub for innovation and industry collaboration was a fitting location for the launch.

Dr Gillian Murray, deputy principal for business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt University said: “We’re enormously proud to have won several Knowledge Exchange Awards in recent years. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the importance of working in partnership with business and the impact that approach can have on accelerating research into commercial application. At Heriot-Watt University, entrepreneurship and innovation lie at the heart of our strategy and we work hard to inspire our students and academics to pursue the commercial potential of their creative ideas.”

Individuals from academia or businesses are encouraged to apply by 9 December, 2022.

For further information on the awards and application forms please go to The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023 | Interface Knowledge Connection (interface-online.org.uk)

Image of robotics workshop and lab at the National Robotarium

The National Robotarium opens its doors with global collaboration announcement

28 September 2022/in Working with Industry/by Louise Jack

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The National Robotarium, which officially opens today [Wednesday 28 September 2022], has announced a major applied engineering and research collaboration with multi-billion dollar company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

The pioneering £22.4 million centre for robotics and artificial intelligence is the largest and most advanced of its kind in the UK. The facility will collaborate with TCS on applied engineering and joint research across multiple disciplines including soft robotics, field robotics, co-bot and tele-operations. Significantly, the agreement also covers areas of urgent societal need including social and geriatric care, a sector in which the National Robotarium is already well-known.

Part of the Tata group, India’s largest multinational business group, TCS has partnered with many of the world’s largest businesses for over 50 years to help deliver transformative projects. Operating in 55 countries, TCS generated consolidated revenues of over 25 billion USD in the fiscal year to end March 2022. TCS Research has a dedicated robotics unit that works with various industry segments.

Utilising expertise from both Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, TCS Research will collaborate with the world-leading National Robotarium to create innovative solutions to global challenges using cutting-edge robotics and AI research, product design and new technology creation.

The agreement with the National Robotarium will build on and support a wider partnership between Heriot-Watt University and TCS which will additionally include education, information technology and innovation developments.

Commenting ahead of the opening ceremony of the facility, Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium, said: “This exciting collaboration is a fitting milestone to announce during the official opening ceremony of the National Robotarium. The partnership will enable TCS and the National Robotarium to bring together our vast combined experience and expertise, elevating the robotics and artificial intelligence offering of both organisations as a result.

“Together we will deliver applied solutions across a range of challenges informed by TCS’ clients, utilising the unique facilities of our new building and adopting an enhanced approach which aims to de-risk and speed up adoption in the market. We will shortly announce a joint programme of focused research, which will outline some of the future technologies required in the field of robotics and AI.

“This announcement is the first of many for the National Robotarium as we ramp up our global collaborative activities. Britain has a long and rich heritage of delivering cutting-edge innovation on the world stage. The opening of this dedicated, state-of-the-art facility is another important milestone in that story and one which I believe demonstrates Scotland and the UK’s role at the forefront of global developments in AI and robotics.”

Ananth Krishnan, Chief Technology Officer of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), commented: “TCS is delighted to announce this crucial strategic partnership with The National Robotarium. As part of this agreement, we will leverage the TCS Pace™ philosophy and ecosystem to accelerate industrial collaboration and increase the adoption of AI and robotics solutions that can help resolve some of the most important social issues facing the world today. We are truly excited to start working with The National Robotarium and achieving our shared goal of empowering people’s lives with innovative technology.”

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