Tag Archive for: robotics

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/

Dr Ingo Keller

The National Robotarium appoints first Head of Robotics

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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.”

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The National Robotarium celebrated in Scottish Parliament robotics debate

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The National Robotarium, the UK’s largest and most advanced research centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, was lauded as the ‘gold standard’ in a Scottish Parliament debate on the future of robotics technology in Scotland and the UK.

Led by Gordon Macdonald MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, where the National Robotarium is based as part of Heriot-Watt University’s campus in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, the debate on Wednesday 18 January received cross-party support, with ministers in agreement that the UK would greatly benefit giving prioritisation to growing its robotics skills, technology, and manufacturing capabilities.

As part of the discussion, available to watch at this link, ministers highlighted how the National Robotarium is exploring the use of new robotic technologies for solving industry and societal problems, sharing examples of current projects within the health and social care, renewable energy, and agriculture sectors. The centre’s approach to developing these robotic products and services based on user needs and feedback, which has proven to improve adoption and integration in people’s daily lives, was also commended within the chamber.

Governmental support to further grow Scotland’s leading science, engineering and technology centres, like the National Robotarium, which has received £22.4m funding from the UK and Scottish Governments as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, was agreed to be a positive step-change to improving the nations’ credentials as global leaders in STEM. Points raised during the debate were also in largely in favour of developing a strategic policy for the robotics sector, including factors such as testing and development, production, education, skills, ethics and regulation, to ensure the UK doesn’t continue to fall behind its global competitors.

Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium, said: “I’m grateful to Mr Macdonald for raising this important debate in Parliament and highlighting the work we’re doing at the National Robotarium to build skills and increase the adoption of robotics and AI across all sectors.

“Many of the points raised during the debate clearly illustrate how the expansion of robotics capabilities can positively impact both the economy and society as a whole. The National Robotarium is an important milestone in this story, however, only with increased government support and investment can Scotland and the UK fully realise its potential to become a leading knowledge base and potential manufacturing hub for robotics.”

Mr McDonald said: “I am delighted to be leading my members debate on the National Robotarium, the largest and most advanced applied research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence found anywhere in the UK and located here in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency.

“On a recent visit to the centre I saw first-hand the incredible work they are doing in their state-of-the-art facility and heard about the aspirations of the centre and indeed the opportunities for Scotland.

“The National Robotarium will be central in creating opportunities for companies to establish, develop and scale up, as well as meeting the future challenges of growth and manufacturing but it is imperative we have a trained workforce so planning for skills is crucial if we are to realise this industry’s potential.”

National Engineering Day

Spotlight On: our Robotics Engineers

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To mark National Engineering Day on 2 November, we’ve been chatting with a few members of the National Robotarium Engineering team to find out what it’s like to be a Robotics Engineer at the UK’s most advanced centre for robotics and artificial intelligence.

Jonatan Scharff-Wilners,

Senior Robotics Engineer

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

The role is very varied. I am mainly focused on writing software for autonomy and path-planning, but get to join in on the design process for hardware as well as leading technical projects and going on lots of field trials. In addition, as I come from the academic side, I am still able to continue my research when projects we’re working on overlap with my field of interest.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

Adaptability both to technology and to people. We work with a lot of different methods and technologies and need to quickly get up to speed on how to efficiently use them. The same goes for people; every person is unique and it is important to be able to adapt to who you’re working with. Every person is a vital player in the team and being able to motivate, acknowledge, respect, teach and learn from each other is the key to successful collaboration, particularly when working on large scale projects. A skill I learned from industry, and try to practise, is that ‘good enough is good enough’.

As engineers, we usually like our work to be completely perfect however this is not always necessary. Even though it is hard to leave something you feel that can be improved, it can often be the right choice.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

Most of the things around us today, particularly those that remove tedious tasks and improve quality of life, are heavily engineered. In the case of the National Robotarium, our work is to remove humans from dangerous sites by allowing them to control remote robots more easily or to develop robots that can achieve tasks autonomously. The use of Autonomy, Robotics and AI will also play a key role in modernising our society, enabling it to adapt to environmental and societal challenges ahead, such as the transition to green and renewable energy.

Sean Katagiri,

Robotics Engineer

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

It can range from being hands on with the latest robotic hardware, to working on developing the brains of the system in a virtual environment. I have a good mix of both when working with subsea robotics as it allows me to go on outdoor trials to test the autonomous systems we’ve developed. Promoting autonomous solutions to the public has also become a key responsibility for myself and the rest of the team at The National Robotarium.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

Being flexible and willing to incorporate new ideas into your work is absolutely key for working in a team environment. Robotics covers such a wide range of fields when it comes to technical challenges, so opening up to others with more experience in a particular aspect of the autonomous system being developed is very important.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

At the National Robotarium we are looking to improve both the public and industry’s image of robots as something that can be functional and a core part of our day-to-day lives. Any scenario wherein a human life is endangered due to harsh working conditions or dangerous environment would benefit greatly from an intelligent robotic system taking their place. Our team are currently working on projects in the offshore and construction sectors that are looking to remove humans from harm’s way in those fields.

Tomasz Lucynski,

Robotics Engineer

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

Robotics is a science that encompasses many, previously separated, fields: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, but also often seemingly distant fields like cognitive sciences. This job is as much interesting as it also is challenging. Every project can bring something new, unexpected, but also fun! For example, after working on the robotic system supporting surgeons, you can move on to monitoring of the marine life. That’s very unique, quite unlike any other job.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

A good engineer needs to be versatile and think out of the box, be a hacker of sorts, but most importantly, be just a little bit lazy! This is because the best solution to a problem is not solving it, it’s removing it altogether!

This is only possible if you can move freely between all aspects of the project, maybe a complex mechanical problem can be addressed in software, or a difficult software task can be eliminated by using different hardware. Finally, engineers are no longer solitary geniuses, the best results are achieved by well-coordinated team efforts so being a good team player is extremely important.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

We’re surrounded by technology, so almost every aspect of our life can be improved with engineering. Technology can help with removing little hassles of the everyday life as well as to provide entertainment or be a life-changer for people in need. Boundaries of what’s possible are being moved every day.

Hari Lakshman,

Robot

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

Robotics engineers involve themselves in various fields of engineering. It is always a big learning curve, sometimes building robots feels like creating a human child. We have knowledge in coding, software development, and designing prototypes, which involves an extensive understanding of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and control systems. We try and implement cutting-edge machine learning and AI algorithms to make the robot more intelligent and more efficient. For me, I’m still learning lots and lots to become a fine-tuned robotics engineer.

At the end of the day, the only goal we try to achieve is to make the world a safe and sound place for everything that lives on it.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

Important skills that any robotics engineer should have are critical and design thinking skills, sufficient programming skills, active learning, teamwork, safety skills and leadership quality are some very necessary skills set needed for a good engineer.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

Engineering helps to improve people’s life in every possible way: economically, ethically, it helps to improve quality of life, solve societal problems, to fight against climate change and more.

At the National Robotarium we use our engineering skills to build robots that can help people with physically or mentally challenging tasks, and to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. There are advanced projects that we have been involved in that can tackle environmental issues such as the energy crisis and food security, as well as using robotics and AI to advance medical applications

Alix Partridge.

Soft Robotics Engineer

Alex (far left) with teammate Thomas McGravie

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

For me, the role of robotics engineer is about combining creativity and logical thinking to come up with novel solutions to complex challenges. My specific role within the team is soft robotics engineer, so most of my time is spent playing with interesting materials and structures to create compliant and often bio-inspired mechanisms that provide adequate sensing or actuation to solve a challenge.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

I don’t think there is a limit to the skills required to be an engineer, nor do I think you can have the wrong skills. I am a great collector of hobbies, from textiles to cooking, pottery to music and I feel that with each new skill I collect I have a better approach to my work as an engineer. There is such a range of engineering on offer now that you can always find a use for the most bizarre of skills! That said, I would advise practising patience as it often takes a lot of failure before a solution is found.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

During my PhD at the BRL in Bristol, I had many opportunities to interact with the community – either through talks, conferences or studies – and I loved hearing their feedback about the work my lab was conducting. What I found most inspiring was when we presented to older generations, or those with disabilities and heard how excited they were about technologies we were creating to tackle the problems they faced in their lives. To see their eyes light up as we presented novel technologies that could aid them with getting around the house or performing the simple tasks that some of us take for granted was incredible and something that drives me forwards in my work.

Rahul R. Ramakrishnan,

Robotics Engineer

What does the role of Robotics Engineer involve?

Robotics is an interdisciplinary field and because of that robotics engineer’s role depends on one’s engineering background be it mechanical, electrical and electronics, computer science, sociology or applied physics and mathematics among others. For example, a robotics engineer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering would work on design and modelling robot mechanics whereas one with a background in electrical and electronics engineering would work on developing the robot’s battery management system and its sensors and actuators.

I have a background in mechatronics engineering and robotics research so I work on robotics systems design and development, both on the hardware and software level.

What skills are required to be a good engineer?

I believe that to be a good engineer the number one skill is to be able to understand the need for an engineering solution to any given problem. It’s not the “what” and “how” but the “why” that comes first. Be curious, take inspiration from nature and question EVERYTHING! Analytical thinking is very important for anyone to be a good engineer and the ability to communicate effectively in a collaborative environment. It is good to have an engineering degree, but it is not always necessary if you have the right knowledge and practical skills.

How does engineering improve people’s lives?

We live in a world where everything we see has been engineered for us to live a better life, especially in today’s modern digital world where everything is data-driven. We now have self-driving cars and text-to-speech solutions such as Okay Google, Alexa and Siri which enable us to make calls and play songs using voice commands.

At the National Robotarium, we are developing unmanned underwater robots to address various problems such as inspection of offshore turbines, which is currently undertaken by experienced deep-sea scuba divers. We are conducting research and development of various robotic solutions for assisted living for elderly and disabled people. We are also improving the quality of life for many people who are doing repetitive tasks in factories by developing solutions for factory automation, which will enable people to safely undertake less repetitive and more skilled tasks side-by-side with robots.

Image of robotics workshop and lab at the National Robotarium

The National Robotarium opens its doors with global collaboration announcement

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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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Team EMMA

Student-led project to build AI butler reaches next round of Amazon SimBot Challenge

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A team of student researchers from the National Robotarium, supported by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, have reached the next round of the Amazon Alexa Prize SimBot Challenge, a global AI competition that tasks university teams with developing a bot that can best respond to people’s commands and demands.

Team EMMA (Embodied MultiModal Agent), led by PhD students Amit, Hementhage, Malvina, and Georgios, successfully completed the Public Benchmark Challenge in April. The challenge involved talking a robot model through a series of household tasks using predefined dialogue datasets – created and provided by Amazon – to assess its ability to follow instructions, learn, and predict changes in its 3D virtual environment.

EMMA, the only non-US team to be shortlisted for the competition, placed sixth on the leader board, allowing them to continue into the ‘live interactions’ development phase, beginning in July 2022. During this phase, the teams will compete to develop a bot that best responds to real Alexa customers who will rate, review and feedback in real-time.

The outcome of the development phase will be revealed during the finals, scheduled for early 2023.

“They have been working hard to develop an embodied agent that is capable of answering questions or solving tasks through natural language interactions, similar to how humans talk to and learn from each other, and the next phase of the competition will see the team develop this technology even further.”

Prof. Verena Rieser, Professor of Conversational AI at the National Robotarium, and team advisor said: “The Alexa Prize SimBot Challenge is focused on helping advance the next generation of virtual assistants that will assist humans in completing real-world tasks.

“The technology and research being developed by the teams involved is really exciting as it could ultimately mean that robots are able to help and support people in their homes and other real-life environments.”

Amit Parekh, the team’s student leader, said: “I’m incredibly surprised and happy with how much we’ve managed to achieve over just a few months and really excited to see what we’re able to achieve over the coming stages! Everyone’s gone above and beyond and we’ve been able to create something we can all be proud of as a result.”

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Two surgeons conduct patient surgery on hospital bed

Breakthrough technique set to improve robotic cancer surgery

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Researchers from the National Robotarium, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, industry partners and Edinburgh-based clinicians are creating a new robot-assisted surgery technique to improve patient care globally.

The ground-breaking method has been awarded £1.25 million and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.

It will be used during robotic surgery to help decide how much of the patient’s tissue is affected by cancer and should be removed.

The outer rim of tissue which the surgeon chooses to remove is known as the ‘surgical margin’. Currently, surgical margins are identified using the surgeon’s experience, preoperative imaging such as CT scans together with visual observations and, in open surgery, tactile ‘feel’. However, when undertaking ‘keyhole surgery’ using laparoscopic, endoscopic (flexible telescope) or robotic operations, surgeons can’t use ‘feel’ to determine tissue characteristics.

Combining engineering, clinical, and industrial skillsets, the new collaboration will allow mechanical measurements to be taken inside and around the surgical target which will be interpreted using a set of ‘mechanical intelligence’ algorithms.

The project team also includes IntelliPalp Dx, CMR Surgical and leading clinicians from the Western General Hospital.

Dr Yuhang Chen from the National Robotarium is leading the research. He said:

“This new technique will offer surgeons a quantitative, real-time, reliable and evidence-based method for determining the optimal surgical margin to make when removing a tumour.

“Surgeons operating along a ‘keyhole’ or using techniques for minimally invasive surgery need to identify different structures or diseased areas, even when these look very similar. Our work is aimed at identifying the optimum margin in cancer surgery, to allow the removal of a tumour together with enough tissue to ensure the cancer is completely removed, but without excess being lost.

“We’re bringing together expertise from laser manufacturing, fibre-optic sensors, micromechanical probing and computational modelling to create a mechanical ‘imaging’ probe capable of detecting cancerous tissue that can be used with a standard minimally-invasive surgery instrument. Coupled to this, we’ll be building a ‘mechanically-intelligent’ data modelling framework and will integrate it into the probe operation for tumour identification and surgical margin assessment. This will effectively eliminate the margin of error for surgeons, giving them confidence that they have removed the correct amount of tissue during the operation itself and reduce the need for further invasive surgery for patients.”

Mr Hugh Paterson, consultant colorectal surgeon from the Western General Hospital, said:

“Robot-assisted surgery is the next major development in minimally invasive surgery and has seen rapid development in its application for a wide variety of conditions. This project, however, will be one of its first applications to support and improve accuracy in cancer surgeries which is extremely exciting.

“Currently, although surgeons use detailed preoperative scans to decide on surgical margins during surgery, they also use vision and ‘feel’ to distinguish normal and abnormal tissue. ‘Feel’ is much reduced in key-hole surgery, and almost completely absent in robotic-assisted surgery. Margins can be particularly difficult to determine in confined spaces such as rectal or pelvic organ surgeries where taking a wider margin can be challenged by the organ’s close proximity to vital nerves and blood vessels. This can place risk on the bladder, bowel, sexual organs and lower limbs. We believe this new technique will restore ‘feel’ to surgeons doing robotic surgery, allowing greater precision through accurate assessment, hugely benefiting patients and significantly limiting repeat surgery and the need for additional treatments.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

“This exciting research could significantly improve the quality of care and treatment for cancer patients worldwide. I’m proud we are supporting the development of world-leading surgical robots through our £21 million investment in the National Robotarium as part of the UK Government’s £1.7 billion programme of levelling up in Scotland.

“The UK Government is also investing £5 billion a year in research and innovation to develop the latest ideas and technology at institutions like the National Robotarium.”

Scottish Government Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said:

“Technology has the potential to change lives for the better and a breakthrough of potentially huge benefit to surgery in Scotland will be welcomed by many cancer patients and their families.

“I’m pleased the Scottish Government is providing £1.4 million to support the Robotarium as we move towards a sustainable and innovative economic recovery.”

The project itself is funded through EPSRC’s Healthcare Partnership Scheme through which funds are used to support existing research and progress it towards real world application.

 

Researchers collaborate to help people live more independently

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For many years, research has taken place to create robots that can provide better support to vulnerable people and their carers. However, more often than not, inventions have gone unadopted. To ensure the acceptance and adoption of robotics, it is clear that collaboration between research and industry must take place. The importance of this partnership has been outlined by Colin Foskett of Blackwood Homes & Care.

Writing in AT Today, Colin Foskett discussed how his company is benefitting from collaborating with Heriot-Watt’s academics from the National Robotarium to develop technologies which can support independent living.

He discussed how the collaboration with the National Robotarium, the world-leading robotics and AI research facility delivered in partnership by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, is being hugely valuable in spotting innovation opportunities to integrate with their digital housing and care system CleverCogs™. This is Backwood’s digital system which keeps carers connected, helps patients become more independent and lessens the need for carers to sleep over, giving them peace of mind that technology is ensuring the wellbeing of residents.

Co-creation

When adapting this project to practical uses, the team faced technical challenges. The product is delivered through a secure two-way video call. However, in the case of an emergency, the team needed better solutions to make sure that responders were able to assess the situation quickly.

Drawing knowledge and insights from the OpenAAL project, meant that the team is now exploring the use of tele-presence robots, i.e. robots that emergency responders can control, over the Internet, as a way to bring a video-call to each room. This avoids the need to install cameras in every room, which would pose issues of privacy and feasibility. It also provides new ways for professional carers and family members to keep in touch with their loved ones.

The OpenAAL project, led by the CARE research group at Heriot-Watt University, has connected the National Robotarium with a wide network of health and social care providers. It also set the foundations of an open and remote access living lab targeting the fast co-creation of socially acceptable, scalable and affordable solutions to support the care of vulnerable people. The facility is being used to run workshops that explore users’ requirements and concerns, and to enable robot developers to program and monitor assistive robots over the Internet. As such, OpenAAL provides a platform that end users, researchers, and technology providers all over the world can use to co-create assistive products, exploiting emerging robotic and artificial intelligence technology.

Dr Mauro Dragone, the National Robotarium academic who is overseeing the collaboration with Blackwood Homes and principal investigator of OpenAAL said, “The collaboration with Blackwood contributes to defining research priorities and questions for health and social care robotics. Working with people who have experience in developing products with practical uses and including end-users in the design of the innovation is key to surmounting barriers, whilst allowing ideas to move from the laboratory into real-life settings. This will accelerate development of practical and affordable robotic solutions. It will also ensure that the developed tools relate to our social and ethical moral constructs and values and can fully integrate with emerging health and social care services.”

Help de-risk investment

The National Robotarium offers spaces called ‘living labs’ where robotics and technology-driven solutions are tested in real life situations, often involving end-users and decreasing the risk of investment in new technologies.

Industry leaders and academic collaboration provides an efficient and sustainable way to de-risk investments. Not only does it decrease the risk of faulty technology designs by drawing on the expertise of academics, but the researchers play a central role in developing facilities where products can be tested before they are rolled out with users.

Looking to the future

Following its collaboration with the National Robotarium, Blackwood Homes now aims to integrate robotics as a central aspect of its business strategy. The project showcases the positive impact that long-term partnerships between universities and health and social care providers can have. Working with academics is a vital way to develop new technologies that are designed with and for people working in the care sector.

It is hoped that these technologies will enhance quality of life for end-users by providing them with the support they need and, more importantly, by allowing them to gain greater independence. As such, academia has a central role to play in the future of the care sector to contribute knowledge, support and expertise.

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Stock image of christmas tree and stockings in front of fireplace

The National Robotarium uses tech to stop Santa getting stuck up the chimney

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Father Christmas has enlisted a new band of helpers this Christmas from the National Robotarium, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and The University of Edinburgh, and robotics company Cyberselves to avoid any embarrassing chimney-related incidents on Christmas Eve.

Robotics experts are not only helping Santa to navigate confined spaces but have also allowed him to make his workshop at the North Pole Covid-compliant using the latest technology.

After a second year of munching mince pies during lockdown, Santa has become even more concerned about his girth and turned to the National Robotarium and Cyberselves for help.

Using Cyberselves’ “Teleport” app, Saint Nick can take control of one of the National Robotarium’s small robot “reindeer” to enter chimneys before him.

The software allows Santa to see, hear, and feel through the robot as if he was already there inside the chimney, allowing him to assess its shape, size, and whether there’s a fire in the hearth below – all without getting dirty black soot on his clean red suit.

Once Father Christmas is satisfied all is safe, he can descend to deliver his presents – or use his magic to unlock the front door instead if the chimney is going to be too tight.

The National Robotarium and Cyberselves are already developing similar technology to allow humans to control robots in hazardous environments, from offshore wind farms and nuclear reactors through to building sites and areas hit by natural disasters.

As well as the new remote sensing robot he’s carrying on his sleigh tonight, Santa also asked the experts to help keep him and his workforce healthy during the run-up to Christmas.

While Saint Nick is no stranger to working from home in his workshop, he is prone to a tickly nose and going “achoo”, despite the best efforts of the North Pole’s ’elf and safety manager.

Technology installed at the North Pole by the National Robotarium and Cyberselves now allows a doctor to control a robot to assess Santa’s condition, saving him a lengthy sleigh ride to visit his local medical centre.

A research project underway at the National Robotarium, and supported by Cyberselves’ software, is using similar “telepresence” technology to connect doctors with care home residents to carry out check-ups remotely.

Working with Blackwood Homes and Care in Scotland, health practitioners can control a robot to interact with and perform assessments on patients, allowing for more regular monitoring and reviews of care packages as necessary.

 “It has been an honour to work with Santa and his elves to alleviate some of the challenges of living remotely in the North Pole and to support preparations for their busiest night of the year.

“We hope that by embracing new technologies and working in collaboration with our researchers, Santa will inspire children around the world to consider a career in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

“The robotics and AI research being pioneered at the National Robotarium is designed to have a positive impact on industry and society, to benefit people from all walks of life.

“From research into how tech can support improved access to healthcare through to technologies that help industry be more productive and robots that make work in hazardous environments safer, our world-renowned researchers are leading the way in developing solutions to global challenges using robotics and AI.” – Stewart Miller, chief executive at the National Robotarium:

The National Robotarium, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative and is supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government through the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal – a 15 year investment programme jointly funded by both governments and regional partners.

Daniel Camilleri, co-founder and chief technology officer at Cyberselves, added: “We’ve gone from Cyberselves to cyber-elves to help Santa this Christmas.

“Our ‘Teleport’ application lets users remotely operate a robot and experience its senses as if they were really there.

“Powered by our unique software platform Animus, the tech operates at low latency, meaning it can be used across vast distances.

“For someone like Santa, who lives in a hard-to-reach area and needs access to services such as healthcare, it can open up crucial new ways to connect.”

High quality image of train moving off undergound platform

The National Robotarium unveils design of new train cleaning robot

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Scientists from the National Robotarium, delivered by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, have unveiled the design of a new train cleaning robot to help existing cleaners.

The robot, which is being funded by rail research body RSSB, has been designed to increase cleanliness standards on trains nationwide. It will complement humans by cleaning in the hard-to-reach places between and under the seats.

The National Robotarium has spent the last two years working on the most appropriate design and operating system for the robot. The robotics and AI research facility is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative and is supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government through the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal – a 15 year investment programme jointly funded by both governments and regional partners.

In the UK, 182 million rail passenger journeys were made in 2021-22 Q1 on national rail services despite ongoing restrictions. However, research into passenger attitudes has consistently shown that travellers want a higher standard of cleanliness on their railways. In a 2020 survey of over 50,000 UK rail passengers, a quarter said they were dissatisfied with the levels of cleanliness inside trains.

Dr Mustafa Suphi Erden from the National Robotarium is leading the project. He explains: “With the daily pressure on rail services, it’s essential that trains are cleaned as fast and as efficiently as possible. However, at present, this process is done entirely by hand requiring a significant amount of time for the cleaning personnel to collect each waste item one-by-one from under and in-between the seats.

“Reaching underneath seats repeatedly over a long shift can lead to health problems. Also, cleaning staff regularly encounter hazardous and biological waste which poses a significant risk. We’ve worked closely with rail operators to design a robot that can complement existing cleaning regimes, aiding human cleaners to deliver an ongoing service and freeing them up to focus on other hygiene tasks including disinfecting surfaces like tables, cleaning the seats and removing dirt, fluid and food waste.”

The National Robotarium team has used more than 58,300 studio images of waste in a variety of conditions to help the cleaning robot to identify waste more accurately, along with several smaller datasets of actual waste photographed on trains.

In interviews with rail service providers, the team obtained further information regarding operating conditions to guide the design of the robot. The narrow under-seat area, which collects the most waste items, is extremely limited and this makes waste collection challenging. Some spaces were measured at just 28cm tall, with entry points as small as 31cm.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The pandemic has shown the importance of regular, thorough cleaning on board public transport. I am excited that these new robots could help make cleaning both quick and affordable, and so improve the wellbeing of travellers and staff. The UK Government is investing £21 million in the National Robotarium to support its cutting-edge research into innovative solutions like this.”

Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: “The COVID pandemic has shown how important good hygiene and cleanliness is in all our public spaces – and I’m sure that this new robot will improve working conditions for railway staff and the environment for passengers.

“The demand for skills will change as our businesses adapt and we build on our growing reputation for hi-tech industries, which is why ensuring Scotland has a skilled and productive workforce, both now and in future, is central to our economic ambitions as we adapt to technological change. I’m pleased the Scottish Government is providing £1.4 million to support the Robotarium as we move towards a sustainable and innovative economic recovery.”

Luisa Moisio, Director of Research and Development, RSSB said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this important research that is contributing towards a step change in working conditions for railway staff, and which will also give passengers added reassurance about the cleanliness of carriages. Robotics is expected to be an important area of growth for the economy, and GB rail is taking the initiative, exploring how robots can be used to assist humans in dangerous, difficult, or dirty tasks.”

The research was supported by funding from RSSB with input from the Greater Anglia train presentation staff at London Liverpool Street station and the West Midlands train presentation staff at Euston station.

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