ROBOTICS experts at Scottish universities have been enlisted to help develop surrogates for humans which could be used to cut the risks involved with nuclear decommissioning and bomb disposal work.
The National Robotarium at Heriot Watt university has been awarded Government funding to work with technology companies on a project that could help reduce the requirement for people to work in hazardous environments.
The aim is to develop robots that would help deliver an immersive experience. These would allow the people who operate through the robots to feel as if they were on the scene.
People working in areas such as bomb disposal need to understand as much as possible about the environments they are operating in.
The programme will aim to deliver advances in the field of telepresence. This will involve work on robotics and telecommunications technology and in the emerging area of haptics.
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Haptic technology can be used to help operators of robots experience physical sensations, such as touch, warmth and vibration.
Heriot Watt University said that while there have been significant advancements in robotics in recent years due to improved sensor technologies and Artificial Intelligence, human-machine interface technologies have remained largely unchanged since the 1980s.
Professor Yvan Petillot from the National Robotarium, said: “We will accelerate research from laboratory to market, paving the way for the UK to take a leadership role in telexistence technologies.”
Wider potential applications include offshore wind energy production and space exploration.
Experts have highlighed the potentail to use robotics to help oil and gas firms to cut costs.
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The Robotarium combines the expertise of staff at Heriot Watt and the University of Edinburgh. These will work on the programme with two technology firms based in northern England, Cyberselves and Resolve Robotics.
The project is one of 11 that will share £800,000 funding under a programme that is being run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
A spokesperson for Heriot Watt University said any intellectual property developed during the course of the project will be owned by the partner that developed it. However, the MOD will have the right to use the IP.
The number of people working in the Robotarium is expected to increase from 50 to 150 within five years.
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