Oxford Dynamics secures £1 million contract with MOD to develop intelligent robot
Pioneering start-up, Oxford Dynamics, based at Harwell Campus, is developing an advanced mobile AI robot that can replace people as the first point of contact in a hazardous incident, such as a chemical or biological incident.
Designed specifically for use by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the robot will operate beyond an operator’s line of sight across a range of terrains. It is being tested at the campus to assess its performance on grass, concrete, gravel, steps and slopes.
The aim is for the robot to navigate hazardous terrains where it is too dangerous to work, while performing a range of semi-autonomous tasks.
Mike Lawton, co-founder and Director of Oxford Dynamics, said: “This is a fantastic win for Oxford Dynamics, and an excellent opportunity to showcase our innovative robotic skills fused with the advanced AI technologies that we’re currently developing.
“This is an exciting example of future implementation of AI, where an operator can simply tap on an object on a screen, and the robot will figure out the best way to pick it up, retrieve and store it. This involves object detection, assessing surface quality and also estimating weight, to ensure the robot doesn’t overbalance when lifting heavy items.
“The expertise available to us here at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Harwell, both in the technology and in the business, development spheres, has been invaluable to us as we now move towards the next stages of this project.”
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