Robots to the fore at new national centre for artificial intelligence in Scotland

CONSTRUCTION has started on a new Scottish research facility to drive early-stage product development in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.

The National Robotarium on the Edinburgh campus of Heriot-watt University is scheduled to open in the spring of next year, and has been described as the largest and most advanced facility of its type in the UK. Key areas of research will include hazardous environments, offshore energy, manufacturing, healthcare, human-robot interaction, assisted living and agritech.

Funded as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the project is a collaboration between Heriot-watt and the University of Edinburgh. It is being supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4m from the Scottish Government.

Research projects led by the National Robotarium are already under way, with the new 40,000sqft building to provide bespoke facilities for researchers and knowledge exchange. It will also include a “partner suite” dedicated to industry, academic and government collaboration.

“By drawing upon the world-class talent of the staff at Heriot-watt and our collaborative partner, the University of Edinburgh, alongside students at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems, the National Robotarium will form a centre of excellence for fundamental research and knowledge exchange to address real-world challenges and industry needs,” said Helen Hastie, joint academic lead of the project.

“The building will facilitate a collaborative approach that is at the heart of the National Robotarium’s ethos, helping to accelerate research from laboratory to market and paving the way for the UK to take a leadership role in AI and robotics technology.”

It will be set up with three research and development areas: robotics and autonomous systems (RAS); human and robotics interaction (HRI); and high precision manufacturing. Among the specialist equipment will be dedicated laser labs, an autonomous systems laboratory, and a living lab for trialling technology in a realistic home setting.

Yvan Petillot, fellow joint academic lead, added: “We hope to inspire subsequent generations about the positive impact of robotics and artificial intelligence, building trust, ethics and understanding into our research outputs, and engaging the public regularly through school visits and open days.”