The projects are supported through £22 million of funding – of which each will receive £5 million - by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) scheme.

The first project, CyberFocus, led by Lancaster University, will strengthen and deliver strategic investments in the region’s cyber ecosystem, fuelling the potential of the North West cyber sector and keeping the UK at the forefront of advance cyber security.

Danny Dresner, Professor of Cyber Security in the Department of Computer Science and the University’s academic lead for CyberFocus, said: “The volatile, risk-filled landscape of cyber security so often gives our adversaries free rein to innovate faster than those who create for the online safety of all of us."

CyberFocus brings together the universities of Manchester, Lancaster, Salford, 91ֱ�� Metropolitan, Central Lancashire, Cumbria and Liverpool.

It will also be supported by other partners including Team Barrow (Westmorland & Furness Council, and BAE Systems), Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Cumbria LEP, Greater 91ֱ�� Combined Authority and Lancashire County Council.

The project aims to act as a catalyst for cyber knowledge exchange across the North West, fostering a collaborative approach to research and innovation, and helping the region drive economic growth and improve cyber resilience.

CyberFocus aims to:

• Create 85 new collaborative partnerships
• Develop 400 new products, processes, or services
• Secure £40m additional funding for the region
• Train 300 individuals in cyber innovation skills

The second project, led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, focuses on nuclear robotics and artificial intelligence. It will connect academia with the supply chain, with the aim of decommissioning the country’s nuclear legacy, as well as developing technology that can be exploited by the nuclear fusion sector.

Barry Lennox, Professor of Applied Control, in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, is the University’s lead for this project.

The project will link Cumbria and Oxfordshire – its' university partners being The University of Cumbria, The University of Manchester and The University of Oxford – and hopes to mobilise significant knowledge and technology transfer between these areas.

Being the only research focused university with a research base in West Cumbria, The University of Manchester will also attempt to bring other universities into the region and support them, as they develop technology for the nuclear industry.

The project aims to:

• Create 200 business opportunities
• Establish 10 spin-out companies
• Generate 200 new jobs
• Engage 5,000 people in cluster-driven events

UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance said: “We are backing universities across the UK to home in on local strengths in research – from cybersecurity in Lancaster to maritime in Liverpool, offshore wind in Edinburgh to digital healthcare in Belfast – to support thousands of local jobs, boost skills and bring new technologies to market.

“This investment will allow innovators up and down the country to continue or expand their pioneering work to improve lives and kickstart growth in our economy with new opportunities.”

Other ongoing projects at The University of Manchester, funded by EPSRC PBIAA, include the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC), which is a collaborative project led by the University, aimed at creating a cohesive ecosystem for Industrial Biotechnology innovation. 

UKRI also funds the Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), which provides flexible support to progress the commercialisation and translational development of University research.

• Feature-Enhanced Representation with Transformers for Multi-View Stereo 
• High-Frequency Channel Attention and Contrastive Learning for Image Super-Resolution 
• A Divide-and-Conquer Machine Learning Approach for Modelling Turbulent Flows 
•  
• DRLFluent: A distributed co-simulation framework coupling deep reinforcement learning with Ansys-Fluent on high-performance computing systems 
• Manifold-enhanced CycleGAN for facial expression synthesis 

To discuss this research or potential partnerships, contact Professor Yin at hujun.yin@manchester.ac.uk.
 

Using a combination of mathematics, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments, the researchers have discovered how to design a robot with the optimum size, shape and the arrangement of its parts, allowing it to jump high enough to clear obstacles many times its own size.

The current highest-jumping robot can reach up to 33 metres, which is equivalent to 110 times its own size. Now, researchers have found out how to design a robot that could jump over 120 metres in the air – that’s more than the height of Big Ben’s tower.

The advancement, published in the journal , will revolutionise applications ranging from planetary exploration to disaster rescue to surveillance of hazardous or inaccessible spaces.

Co-author , Research Associate in Space Robotics at The University of Manchester, said: “Robots are traditionally designed to move by rolling on wheels or using legs to walk, but jumping provides an effective way of travelling around locations where the terrain is very uneven, or where there are a lot of obstacles, such as inside caves, through forests, over boulders, or even the surface of other planets in space.

“While jumping robots already exist, there are several big challenges in the design of these jumping machines, the main one being to jump high enough to overcome large and complicated obstacles. Our design would dramatically improve the energy efficiency and performance of spring-driven jumping robots.”

The researchers found that traditional jumping robots often take off before fully releasing their stored spring energy, resulting in inefficient jumps and limiting their maximum height. They also found that they wasted energy by moving side to side or rotating instead of moving straight up.

The new designs must focus on removing these undesirable movements while maintaining the necessary structural strength and stiffness.

Co-author, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering, said: “There were so many questions to answer and decisions to make about the shape of the robot, such as should it have legs to push off the ground like a kangaroo, or should it be more like an engineered piston with a giant spring? Should it be a simple symmetrical shape like a diamond, or should it be something more curved and organic? Then, after deciding this we need to think about the size of the robot – small robots are light and agile, but then large robots can carry bigger motors for more powerful jumps, so is the best option somewhere in the middle?

“Our structural redesigns redistribute the robot’s component mass towards the top and taper the structure towards the bottom. Lighter legs, in the shape of a prism and using springs that only stretch are all properties that we have shown to improve the performance and most importantly, the energy efficiency of the jumping robot.”

Although the researchers have found a practicable design option to significantly improve performance, their next goal is to control the direction of the jumps and find out how to harness the kinetic energy from its landing to improve the number of jumps the robot can do in a single charge. They will also explore more compact designs for space missions, making the robot easier to transport and deploy on the moon.

The University of Manchester has been awarded £30 million funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for four Centres for Doctoral Training as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) £500 million investment in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills across the UK.

Building on 91ֱ��’s long-standing record of sustained support for doctoral training, the new CDTs will boost UK expertise in critical areas such as advanced materials, AI, and nuclear energy.

The CDTs include:

• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in 2D Materials of Tomorrow (2DMoT) - with cross-disciplinary research in the science and applications of two-dimensional materials, this CDT will focus on a new class of advanced materials with potential to transform modern technologies, from clean energy to quantum engineering. Led by , Professor of Physics at The University of Manchester.
   
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0 - this CDT will bring together students from a range of backgrounds in science and engineering to drive forward the digitalisation of materials research and innovation. Led by , Professor of Applied Mathematics at The University of Manchester and the Henry Royce Institute.
   
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and AI for Net Zero - this CDT will train and develop the next generation of multi-disciplinary robotic systems engineers to help revolutionise lifecycle asset management, in support of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy. Led by , Reader in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester.
   
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in SATURN (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) - the primary aim of SATURN is to provide high quality research training in science and engineering, underpinning nuclear fission technology. Led by , Professor of Nuclear Chemistry at The University of Manchester.

91ֱ�� received joint-third most awards across UK academia, and will partner with University of Cambridge, University of Glasgow, Imperial College London, Lancaster University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, University of Strathclyde and the National Physical Laboratory to prepare the next generation of researchers, specialists and industry experts across a wide range of sectors and industries.

In addition to leading these four CDTs, The University of Manchester is also collaborating as a partner institution on the following CDTs:

• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fusion Power, based at University of York.
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Aerosol Science: Harnessing Aerosol Science for Improved Security, Resilience and Global Health, based at University of Bristol.
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing, based at Cardiff University.

Along with institutional partnerships, all CDTs work with industrial partners, offering opportunities for students to develop their skills and knowledge in real-world environments which will produce a pipeline of highly skilled researchers ready to enter industry and take on sector challenges.

Professor Scott Heath, Associate Dean for Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers at The University of Manchester said of the awards: “We are delighted that the EPSRC have awarded this funding to establish these CDTs and expose new cohorts to the interdisciplinary experience that researching through a CDT encourages. By equipping the next generation of researchers with the expertise and skills necessary to tackle complex issues, we are laying the groundwork for transformative solutions that will shape industries and societies for generations to come.”

Announced by Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, this round of funding is the largest investment in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills to-date, totalling more than £1 billion. Science and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan, said: “As innovators across the world break new ground faster than ever, it is vital that government, business and academia invests in ambitious UK talent, giving them the tools to pioneer new discoveries that benefit all our lives while creating new jobs and growing the economy.

“By targeting critical technologies including artificial intelligence and future telecoms, we are supporting world class universities across the UK to build the skills base we need to unleash the potential of future tech and maintain our country’s reputation as a hub of cutting-edge research and development.”

These CDTs join the already announced . This CDT led by , Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning at The University of Manchester, will train the next generation of AI researchers to develop AI methods designed to accelerate new scientific discoveries – specifically in the fields of astronomy, engineering biology and material science.

The first cohort of AI CDT, SATURN CDT and Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0 CDT students will start in the 2024/2025 academic year, recruitment for which will begin shortly. 2DMoT CDT and RAINZ CDT will have their first cohort in 2025/26.

For more information about the University of Manchester's Centres for Doctoral Training, please visit:

The purpose of the consortium will be to provide Sellafield Ltd with technical support as it delivers its long-term objectives of safely inspecting and decommissioning their facilities using remote technologies.

Sellafield Ltd have made considerable progress with the deployment of robots to address challenges on its site. However, there are many challenges that remain, many of which cannot be solved using currently available commercial technologies.

The academic consortium will be led by Professor Barry Lennox and Dr Simon Watson at The University of Manchester and supported by groups at The University of Bristol, led by Professor Tom Scott, and The University of Oxford, led by Professor Nick Hawes. Sellafield Ltd’s engagement with the academic consortium will be led by its Robotics and Manufacturing Lead, Dr Melissa Willis.

Melissa Willis, Robotics and Manufacturing Research Lead at Sellafield Ltd, added: “We are excited by the opportunities that this consortium provides us with and are confident that their technical expertise will help us to deliver the benefits that robotics technology offers us on the Sellafield site.”

The consortium has considerable experience of working with Sellafield Ltd, having all been involved in the RAIN (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear) hub, and more recently The University of Manchester has provided the academic leadership for the Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) in Cumbria.

Experience of the consortium includes the design, development and deployment of mobile robots in a range of air, land and aquatic environments in the UK and overseas.

Working collaboratively with Sellafield Ltd, researchers at The University of Manchester developed AVEXIS, which can be deployed into aquatic facilities with access ports as small as 150 mm and collect visual and radiometric data. The commercial version of AVEXIS was the first robot to be deployed into Sellafield’s Magnox Swarf Storage Silos and its use at Fukushima Daiichi has been explored.

The University of Oxford’s Robotics Institute (ORI) have developed a range of mapping and mission planning technologies that can be used by robots, such as Boston Dynamics’ Spot to autonomously monitor facilities and identify unexpected changes.

Using quadrotor and fixed wing vehicles, the University of Bristol have developed technology able to map radioactivity levels over large areas of land. The technology has been deployed successfully in the UK and overseas, with the image showing a radiation dose map generated over the Red Forest area of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine, with the orange/red areas showing regions of elevated gamma dose rates.

Viscount Camrose started his tour at Engineering Building A, home to the new international research centre CRADLE (Centre for Robotic Autonomy in Demanding and Long-lasting Environments), where he announced the countdown to the centre’s official opening in November.

The Minister was guided by Professor Barry Lennox, The University of Manchester’s Centre for Robotics and AI Co-Director, where he learnt all about the interdisciplinary research going on in the centre, including a demonstration of a robot named Lyra, built to help transform nuclear infrastructure inspection.

Lyra was used to survey one of the radiologically contaminated ducts in Dounreay. It performed the equivalent of more than 400 air-fed suited entries into the site, equal to 2,250 man-hours. This capability reduced costs by an estimated £5m and it is predicted that similar surveys could save decommissioning costs by a further £500m in the future.

The Minister then took a tour of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), taking in its energy storage labs, printing lab facilities and construction materials testing facility, before making his way to ID 91ֱ�� and the location for the (TIC); a project which aims to link businesses to cutting-edge AI research and technologies to help enhance productivity.

John Holden, Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects at The University of Manchester, said: “I was delighted to welcome the minister to The University of Manchester and to show him the leading-edge research and development activity we are undertaking in areas critical to the UK’s future economic growth and prosperity, including our pioneering work in AI and robotics.

“Funding research and development in universities is critical to regional and national efforts to improve productivity across all industries, and the visit was an opportunity to highlight to the minister how we are accelerating the translation of our research base into industrial application through initiatives such as GEIC and the Turing Innovation Catalyst.

“The visit was also an opportunity to highlight the major opportunity that ID 91ֱ�� represents for the region and UK – our plan to transform eight hectares of the North Campus into a commercially-led innovation district will create a world-leading innovation ecosystem around the University and has the potential to create 10,000 high quality jobs in research and development intensive sectors linked to the University’s capabilities over the next 10-15 years.”

The Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, Viscount Camrose, added: “Greater 91ֱ�� has long been at the forefront of science and innovation in this country, from the first splitting of the atom to the invention of the first computer.

“By engaging closely with partners including The University of Manchester, businesses and local government, we can continue to grow our innovation economy across the country and level-up the UK.

“It was great to see first-hand some of the fantastic Government-backed research in 91ֱ��, such as the development of graphene applications at the GEIC, CRADLE’s cutting-edge innovations in robotics, as well as some of the projects underway through our £100m Innovation Accelerators programme such as the Turing Innovation Catalyst, the Centre for Digital Innovation and the Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub.”

The visit ended with a round-table discussion about the . Led by Innovate UK on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation Technology (DSIT), the pilot programme is investing £100m in 26 transformative R&D projects to accelerate the growth of three high-potential innovation clusters – Greater 91ֱ��, Glasgow City Region and the West Midlands.

Leaders from three AI-related projects backed by the Innovation Accelerator – the Turing Innovation Catalyst, led by The University of Manchester, the Centre for Digital Innovation, led by 91ֱ�� Metropolitan University, and the MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, led by The Landing at MediaCityUK – attended the round-table. They were joined by Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater 91ֱ�� lead for Economy, Business and International, and representatives from Greater 91ֱ�� Combined Authority (GMCA).

Participants discussed how to strengthen connections between these projects and maximise their value, and other national initiatives to support AI and related technologies.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and GMCA Lead for Economy and Business, said: “Today’s visit provided a fantastic opportunity for the minister to learn more about the groundbreaking research and innovation happening right here in Greater 91ֱ��, and particularly at The University of Manchester.

“In recent years we have grown a reputation as a leading digital city-region, with AI as an important emerging sub-sector. As the impact of AI on our economy and society continues to grow, Greater 91ֱ�� is well-placed, with the potential to go even further.

“We also held a productive discussion about Greater 91ֱ��’s Innovation Accelerator programme and its AI-related projects. Through the Innovation Accelerator we are piloting a new model of R&D decision making that empowers local leaders to harness innovation in support of regional economic growth.”

The Centre for Robotic Autonomy in Demanding and Long-lasting Environments (CRADLE) will research new technologies for demanding and heavily regulated industry sectors such as space, nuclear decommissioning, energy generation and urban infrastructure.

It will work to find advances such as autonomous inspection and repair systems to extend the life of water and energy networks, roads, bridges and railways, that will support the work towards net zero targets.

The new partnership makes use of the research and expertise already being delivered in this area at the University. Last year, the Centre for Robotics and AI developed a robot called Lyra to help transform nuclear infrastructure inspection. The team have also contributed to the project, which worked to build a folding drone to allow Network Rail to inspect mine workings quicker, cheaper and with less risk.

Professor Barry Lennox, University of Manchester’s Centre for Robotics and AI Co-Director, said: “CRADLE provides The University of Manchester’s recently established Centre for Robotics and AI with the opportunity to build a relationship with one of the leading organisations involved in applied robotics, helping us to progress our fundamental research in this area, and enabling us deliver impact from the robotic and AI systems that we are developing.”

The center will be co-funded to a total value of $11 million (£8.75 million) over five years by The University of Manchester, American international engineering company Jacobs, and the Prosperity Partnerships program, which fosters links between academia and industry. Further in-kind contributions will bring the total up to £10 million.

CRADLE’s research remit covers mechatronics, software and how communities and regulators will engage with future robotic systems.

The University of Manchester will support 12 PhD students in conducting research and performing prototype demonstrations in its Electrical Engineering & Electronics and Computer Science departments, the and at Jacobs’ robotics laboratories in Warrington.

Karen Wiemelt, Jacobs Energy, Security & Technology Senior Vice President, said: “Securing this prestigious Prosperity Partnerships grant allows Jacobs and The University of Manchester to research the autonomous systems that industry needs to solve today’s challenges and create a more connected and sustainable world.

“Robotics is already a core strength of Jacobs’ work in the energy and space sectors and this research collaboration will enable us to develop advanced technologies to help achieve Net Zero targets.”

Dr Andrew Bourne, Director of Partnerships at EPSRC, added: “Prosperity Partnerships demonstrate how business and academia can come together to co-create and co-deliver research and innovation that address industry-driven challenges and deliver economic and societal impact. These new projects showcase the breadth of research and innovation in the UK, covering a wider range of sectors, and support the UK’s ambitions to be a science superpower and an innovation nation.”

The project is initiatives receiving part of £149 million, funded jointly by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation. This includes £4 million from UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Medical Research Council (MRC). This public funding is being matched by a further £88 million from academia and business.

All 19 projects are a significant investment in the UK’s future and are expected to make a real difference to people’s lives.

Mr Lambertini encountered the smart bots during an introduction to the , which specialises in applying state-of-the-art AI technologies into the design of robots and autonomous systems for real world applications. 

The ambassador and his team – including Matteo Corradini from the Italian Consul in 91ֱ�� – were shown a number of advanced devices, ranging from humanoid robots that are designed to engage with people to highly resilient machines intended for use in hazardous environments like nuclear decommissioning. 

The diplomatic visit to the robotics centre was part of a wider engagement with Greater 91ֱ��, including a meeting with a senior University delegation led by Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor, Luke Georghiou.

In a separate engagement, Mr Lambertini and his delegation also met Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater 91ֱ��. 
 

The 91ֱ�� research team will combine expertise in AI and psychology to focus on the fact that smart machines still only understand about one-third of the meaning of human language. 

To progress their ability to understand humans more fully robots will act as ‘tutors’ to help children better understand numerical and abstract concepts. This in turn will then help robots engage more meaningfully with older generations of humans. 

Angelo Cangelosi, Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at The University of Manchester, explains that language is the most natural means of communication among people to talk about and share experiences – and for robots to understand and communicate with us. 

For example, humans use concrete words to describe objects and their features (eg ‘Look at this red pen’) and to talk about actions and events (‘I write with the pen’). However, we most commonly use abstract words to describe social situations and relationships (such as, ‘Mary likes John’), emotional states (‘I wish you happiness’), and numbers and quantities (1, 2, 10, or ‘some’, ‘many’, et cetera). 

“In fact, the great majority – a total of 72% – of words we use are abstract words; but today’s robots can only understand the concrete words. So, how can we have meaningful interaction with robots if they cannot understand most of the words we use?” asks Professor Cangelosi. 

To meet this challenge, the ERC Advanced eTALK project will take direct inspiration from the way children and adults use and learn abstract words – and use methods from AI and psychology to develop a new generation of robots capable of communicating with people about internal feelings, numbers, and other abstract words. 

The award of this project builds on, and recognises, the reputation of the 91ֱ�� Centre for Robotics and AI, and the expertise from Professor Cangelosi and his team in combining psychological concepts with AI and robotics, to design robots that positively impact society. 

The ERC has announced the awarding of 218 Advanced Grants to outstanding research leaders across Europe, as part of the Horizon Europe programme. The grants – totalling €544 million – support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities.

The 91ֱ�� will be based at the engineering and materials facilities at The University of Manchester which will provide a state-of-the-art home for industry-leading research in AI-powered devices and be an “interface between robotics, autonomy and AI”.

The University of Manchester has built a modern reputation of excellence in AI and robotics, partly based on the legacy of seminal thought leadership begun in this field in 91ֱ�� by legendary codebreaker Alan Turing (1). The creation of the new 91ֱ�� centre also follows robotics and AI being identified by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as the most critical drivers for 21^st century economies (2).

To mark the opening of the new robotics centre, the 91ֱ�� group will host its first conference on Wednesday, Nov 23. Topics under discussion will include applications of robotics in extreme environments.

For the past decade, a specialist 91ֱ�� team led by Professor Barry Lennox has designed robots to work safely in nuclear decommissioning sites in the UK. A ground-breaking robot called Lyra that has been developed by Professor Lennox’s team - and recently deployed at the Dounreay site in Scotland, the “ – has been listed in .

Other world-leading 91ֱ�� applications include foldable drones to characterise subterranean mines or for the inspection of offshore wind turbines. And 91ֱ�� leads on designing the verification technologies to ensure that we can trust these robots when working autonomously in hazardous conditions.

A conference highlight will be a joint talk by robotics expert Dr Andy Weightman and theologian Dr Scott Midson which is expected to put a spotlight on ‘posthumanism’ – a future world where humans won’t be the only highly intelligent decision-makers.

Dr Weightman, who researches home-based rehabilitation robotics for people with neurological impairment, and Dr Midson, who researches theological and philosophical critiques of posthumanism, will discuss how interdisciplinary research can help with the special challenges of rehabilitation robotics – and, ultimately, what it means to be human “in the face of the promises and challenges of human enhancement through robotic and autonomous machines”.

Delegates will also have a chance to observe a series of robots and autonomous machines being demoed at the conference.

Angelo Cangelosi, Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at 91ֱ��, said the University offers a world-leading position in the field of autonomous systems – a technology that will be an integral part of our future world. 

Professor Cangelosi, co-Director of the 91ֱ�� , said: “We are delighted to host our inaugural conference which will provide a special showcase for our diverse academic expertise to design robotics for a variety of real world applications.

"Our research and innovation team are at the interface between robotics, autonomy and AI – and their knowledge is drawn from across the University's disciplines, including biological and medical sciences – as well the humanities and even theology. 

“This rich diversity offers 91ֱ�� a distinctive approach to designing robots and autonomous systems for real world applications, especially when combined with our novel use of AI-based knowledge.”

The University of Manchester’s Centre for Robotics and AI will aim to: 

·       design control systems with a focus on bio-inspired solutions to mechatronics, eg the use of biomimetic sensors, actuators and robot platforms; 

·       develop new software engineering and AI methodologies for verification in autonomous systems, with the aim to design trustworthy autonomous systems; 

·       research human-robot interaction, with a pioneering focus on the use of brain-inspired approaches to robot control, learning and interaction; and 

·       research the ethics and human-centred robotics issues, for the understanding of the impact of the use of robots and autonomous systems with individuals and society.

In the UK, the space sector is worth over £16.4 billion per year and employs more than 45,000 people, while satellites and space tech underpins £360 billion per year of wider economic activity. Globally, projections reveal that the space economy

To optimise opportunities in this booming market, organisations such as the European Space Agency are looking to build space habitats, including a and ultimately . However, these types of ambitious projects will require breakthroughs in new materials to help construct resilient structures and infrastructure.

In response to this challenge, Dr Vivek Koncherry - a University alumnus and now CEO of Graphene Innovations 91ֱ��, a start-up based at the - is looking to build pressurised vessels that will create a modular space station for Low Earth Orbit. These pioneering vessels are to be made from graphene-enhanced carbon fibre as the addition of this 2D material will lightweight the habitat, as well as lending its thermal management properties to help regulate extremes of temperature.

Dr Koncherry has been working closely with global architects SOM, who have been studying the complexity of space habitation for many years as they look to .

As space explorers of the future look to go beyond the Earth’s orbit, travelling from a graphene space ship to begin building bases on the Moon – or even Mars – Dr Koncherry’s colleague Dr Aled Roberts, also part of the GEIC, is conducting research to develop bio-based building materials.

Dr Roberts, who is also part of the , explains that one of the biggest challenges for “off-world habitat construction” is the transportation of building materials, which can cost upwards of £1m 'per brick’. Until the conceptual can be built, one solution, says Dr Roberts, could be using local resources, such as lunar or Martian soil to make building materials. This thinking has led to proposed products like (aka extraterrestrial regolith biocomposites), a material using the local planetary soil and a bio-based binder to make sturdy bricks to build space habitats.

To support this lunar or Martian construction work, artificial intelligence (AI) researchers at 91ֱ�� - who are expert in developing autonomous systems and resilient AI-powered robots - have helped develop sophisticated software to enable ‘co-bots’ to aid astronauts in exploration, in construction and in monitoring these new structures.

This work has been led by Professor Michael Fisher and his colleagues that form the . A specialism at 91ֱ�� involves designing and building AI-powered autonomous robots that can work in the harshest of environment, such as space, and can reliably undertake a wide range of tasks “on their own”.

Previous research in this field has looked to support improved capability of NASA’s Astronaut-Rover teams and the 91ֱ�� team continue their collaboration with NASA. Future manned missions to the Moon and Mars are expected to use autonomous rovers and robots to assist astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA), including science, technical and construction operations.

“An important feature of the 91ֱ�� work is to develop and apply systems making sure these robots are trustworthy and do what we expect,” explained Professor Fisher.

Once a space habitat has been built, its human occupants will need to survive in their new environment - and NASA researchers have identified hydroponics as a suitable method for growing food in outer space. 91ֱ�� agri-tech experts are looking at the future of food production, which includes the application of hydroponics in vertical farming production.

Dr Beenish Siddique, founder of (below) , a UK government-backed enterprise which is also based in the GEIC, is leading a team to develop a pioneering a hydrogel called GelPonics.

This growth medium conserves water and filters out pathogens to protect plants from disease, while automated technology includes the use of a graphene-based sensor that allows remote monitoring and management of the irrigation management system. This process is much less labour intensive and ultimately the GelPonics system is designed to be used in the harshest of environments.

Combining two strengths – advanced materials and trustworthy automation – to create a USP for space

Space is a fast-growing opportunity for exponential market growth - and provides an arena for the UK engineering sector to apply its world-leading expertise. The R&D being pioneered by experts at The University of Manchester to deliver revolutionary innovation in space habitat technology provides a model approach.

91ֱ�� has combined two of its key engineering strengths – advanced materials and autonomous systems – to find a unique proposition on space tech innovation.

Dr Vivek Koncherry says: “If you want to implement nanomaterials - or indeed the next generation of advanced materials - into space application you will also need automation.

“In 91ֱ��, everything comes together – you have expertise in both advanced materials and automated systems. The skilled people we need to work with are based in the same place, which creates a unique proposition.”

Dr Koncherry has built a pilot digital manufacturing line, designed to handle materials of the future by integrating robotics, AI and IoT systems in his state-of-the-art Alchemy Lab based in the GEIC (above). He has an ambition to grow the manufacturing base in Greater 91ֱ�� and from this provide a model to underpin the UK’s national capability to making advanced products.

"Dr Koncherry adds: “Space is at the tipping point of being accessible to the commercial mainstream - the opportunities this provides are boundless. Just like in the original industrial revolution, 91ֱ�� now finds itself with the right innovation at the right time to capitalise on the space revolution.”

To find out more about The University of Manchester’s contribution to the space sector read: 

Dr Koncherry, who is based at the University‘s world-class materials innovation accelerator, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), is developing a range of products exploiting breakthrough nanomaterial technology.

But to get this innovation to a mass market, Dr Koncherry recognises that manufacturing systems also need to keep pace – so he has built a pilot digital manufacturing line in the GEIC designed to handle materials of the future by integrating robotics, AI and IoT systems. 

“The first industrial revolution in 91ֱ�� was world famous for its textiles and weaving technologies and we are at the start of the next industrial revolution – but this time we are to use advanced materials and advanced manufacturing processes,” he said.  

“So, if you want to implement nanomaterials or the next generation of materials into the marketplace you will also need automation and the next level of advanced manufacturing to remain competitive at a global scale.

“In 91ֱ��, everything comes together – you have expertise in both advanced materials and automated systems. The skilled people we need to work with are based in the same place, which creates a unique proposition.”

This “unique proposition” has, in fact, already helped Dr Koncherry attract inward investment from North America, with $5 million (£3.6m) being put into his start-up Graphene Innovations 91ֱ�� (GIM).

Dr Koncherry and his team at GIM (including robotics expert Jinseong Park, pictured top) are developing a range of products, including mats and floor coverings made from recycled materials (such as rubber from car tyres) to pioneering pressurised vessels made from a graphene-enhanced composite material. These components can be applied to hydrogen storage on earth or creating a habitat for living in space.  

Dr Koncherry has an ambition to grow the manufacturing base in Greater 91ֱ�� and from this provide a model to underpin the UK’s national capability to making advanced products.  

To find out more about Dr Koncherry’s pioneering work and also how graphene-based composite technology is a key to lightweighting in sectors including aerospace and automotive, watch the film below:

‘Hot robotic’ systems were originally designed to work in radioactive environments found in decommissioned nuclear reactors - but future assignments for this type of super machine will include deployment in nuclear fusion power, the offshore energy sector, agriculture and even outer space.

As part of an ambitious R&D programme to maintain UK leadership in robotic technologies, 91ֱ�� experts are applying AI technologies to ‘hot robotics’ as they will increasingly need to act independently of human operators as they enter a range of danger zones to carry out highly complex tasks.    

91ֱ��’s expertise in AI and robotic technologies will be showcased on June 14 as part of a symposium that will put a spotlight on the National Nuclear User Facility Hot Robotics programme Register here:

An important challenge in the nuclear industry is to improve robot autonomy so that the technology can be used to deliver safer, faster and cheaper decommissioning of legacy power stations and other radioactive facilities at sites such as Sellafield and Dounreay.

To support this challenge, the Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) has been established in Cumbria as a joint research programme between The University of Manchester, the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA), Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the National Nuclear Laboratory. The aim is to develop advanced robotic and AI solutions and transferring these to sites across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s estate in the UK.

In addition to supporting the nuclear decommissioning industry, RAICo will also provide a pilot for the development and application of sophisticated robotic systems in other sectors – a recent  estimates that the total UK market size for autonomous robotic systems will reach almost £3.5 billion by 2030. 

Academic engagement into RAICo is being led by Professor Barry Lennox and his team at The University of Manchester. This group leads the (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear) hub and are also part of the 91ֱ�� Robotics and AI Centre.

“The inclusion of AI is because the goal is to develop automated systems that can operate much more efficiently than if they were operated by people,” explained Barry Lennox.

“Within RAICo we are looking at how to improve the operation of remote manipulation and inspection systems. We’re helping Sellafield and other nuclear end-users to develop the next generation of remote surveying and handling equipment so they can improve their operations.”

Professor Lennox explained that 91ֱ�� is a world-leader in designing and developing autonomous systems through the application of AI technologies like machine learning to significantly improve robotic systems.

The 91ֱ��-led RAIN group has built up their expertise after pioneering a series of resilient robotic systems to carry out work in many of the UK’s decommissioned nuclear power stations – doing work that is too dangerous for humans.

Professor Lennox explained: “The prefix ‘hot’ was introduced because we were interested in deploying the robots into active environments - but we’re now looking to expand the hot so it can refer to more general applications, including the space, agriculture and offshore sectors. Many of the challenges are similar, although the robots may end up looking a bit different.”

Enhancing the AI capability of these machines is the next big challenge for his team, added Professor Lennox. “AI introduces lots of additional problems related to ensuring that the AI will do what we expect it to do and not cause damage or risk the safety of humans.”

Expanding beyond nuclear decommissioning, the 91ֱ��-led RAIN team are also establishing joint programmes of work with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to support them in the development of robotic systems for nuclear fusion reactors.

Rob Buckingham, Director UK Atomic Energy Authority and head of their Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) centre, said: “The next generation of robotics will be essential for the delivery of fusion power and, recognising this, we intend to collaborate widely with the best, such as the robotics research group at 91ֱ��.

“Working with 91ֱ�� on the RAIN programme has reaped huge rewards for both parties so let’s do more.”

Finally, 91ֱ�� researchers have been advising UK policy-makers and energy sector leaders on the safe development of robotic and autonomous systems for work in harsh environments.

  and have recently outlined recommendations in their ‘, calling for greater transparency and easier verification in autonomous decision-making processes, particularly for systems used in situations where there is a risk to human wellbeing. 

 

Previously, gaining this amount of detailed information would be complex and, even where possible, it would require operations staff to make additional airline suit entries into contaminated areas, increasing cost and elevating risk. Human access to this area is currently impossible due to the size of the duct and radiological risks.

This deployment has proven that mobile robots can be used to accelerate the pace of decommissioning legacy nuclear facilities in the UK, while at the same time reducing the risk to humans, decreasing costs and even reducing the amount of additional low-level waste that is generated during decommissioning.

Lyra’s Design

Lyra was designed as a low-cost robot, featuring 5 radiation detectors, a laser scanner for positioning, 2 cameras, lights and a manipulator arm that was used to take swab samples of the radioactive contamination from the wall or floor of the duct. Lyra was developed by researchers at The University of Manchester, working within the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear (RAIN) Hub and with considerable guidance from technical and operations staff at Dounreay Site Remediation Ltd (DSRL).

Lyra was fitted with tracks and given a relatively high ground clearance to enable it to clear the considerable amounts of rubble that lay in the duct. The radiation sensing package was designed to be able to measure beta, gammas, x-ray, and neutrons radiations and a 5 DOF manipulator was attached to enable it to collect swabs for further radiological analysis at the site laboratories

Cameras were attached to the front of Lyra and to the end of the manipulator. The camera attached to the manipulator allowed for detailed inspection of any areas of interest that were identified during the survey. Lyra is controlled via joypad, which is used for driving, and a compliant manipulator arm whose motion is copied by the arm on the robot.

The radiation sensing package coupled with the LIDAR radar, live camera footage enabled a 3D, time stamped video to be developed with the radiation readings as measured overlayed onto the video such that any point of interest or high radiation measurement could be pin pointed at any selected location within the duct.

Lyra was untethered, but did incorporate a winch retrieval mechanism, which could be used to drag Lyra back to an access point in the event of a loss of power, or to shift it off rubble if it became beached. An independent, remote reset was also incorporated onto Lyra. This was a wireless device that enabled Lyra to perform a ‘hard reset’ if necessary.

The Deployment

The deployment of Lyra was completed in partnership with the operations team at DSRL and the figure below shows an image of the access port, within containment, that Lyra was deployed through. The frame that is being inserted provides additional cameras, lighting and back-up communications.

Following the successful deployment of Lyra, DSRL Project Manager Jason Simpson said: “DSRL is greatly indebted to the team from The University of Manchester, their efforts coupled with that of FIS360 Managing Director Frank Allison have clearly demonstrated the substantial benefits to be gained through collaborative working with the supply chain. Now that the characterisation survey is complete, we have built up a comprehensive picture of the duct which will help us make informed decisions on how the duct will be decommissioned going forward.

“Although it is recognised that the incentives to succeed differed for all parties, the enthusiasm and commitment from Frank Allison, Barry Lennox, Matthew Nancekievill, Keir Groves and the rest of the team at 91ֱ��, ensured our objectives ultimately aligned to culminate in the successful deployment and data capture witnessed via Lyra.”

RAIN Hub Director Barry Lennox added: “We wanted to demonstrate that the robot could be used successfully in active areas. We added fail safe devices, including a remote “reboot” switch, and a winch to enable us to physically retrieve the robot if it got stuck on the debris in the duct. The survey has demonstrated Lyra’s reliability in active areas.”

The deployment was supported by innovation and technology transfer specialists, FIS360. Their Managing Director, Frank Allison said: “The development and deployment of Lyra highlights the benefits that robotics technology offers the nuclear industry and the importance of academia, end-users and businesses in the supply chain working together. It is only through collaborative working, like this, that solutions can be developed for complex challenges, such as surveying the Dounreay duct.”

The research team are grateful for the use of the Lyra robot, which was made available for this work through the NNUF Hot Robotics Programme.

The Lyra robot is one example of mobile robotic platforms designed for inspection of hazardous environments and is commercially available through Ice Nine Ltd

For further information regarding this work, please see:

• designing control systems with a focus on bio-inspired solutions to mechatronics, eg the use of biomimetic sensors, actuators and robot platforms; 
• developing new software engineering and AI methodologies for verification in autonomous systems, with the aim to design trustworthy autonomous systems; 
• researching human-robot interaction, with a pioneering focus on the use of brain-inspired approaches to robot control, learning and interaction; and 
• research in ethics and human-centred robotics issues, for the understanding of the impact of the use of robots and autonomous systems with individuals and society. 

Angelo Cangelosi, Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at 91ֱ��, said the University offers a world-leading position in the field of autonomous systems – a technology that is set to revolutionise our lives and workplaces. 

"91ֱ��'s robotics community has achieved a critical mass of expertise – however, our approach in the designing of robots and autonomous systems for real world applications is distinctive through our novel use of AI-based knowledge," added Professor Cangelosi. 

"Our robot pioneers therefore find themselves on the interface between robotics, autonomy and AI – and their knowledge is drawn from across the University's disciplines, including humanities and biological and medical sciences. 

"Our University now has the potential to build on these solid foundations and further establish itself as a world leader in this important and rapidly growing field with the establishment of the new interdisciplinary 91ֱ�� Centre for Robotics and AI." 

The new centre has hosted an inaugural workshop – attracting more than 90 delegates – to bring a strategic focus to the robot and AI community at 91ֱ��, and looks to share expertise and innovation. 

A community of specialists at The University of Manchester have teamed up with global architect firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to research the design and manufacturing of space habitats for the space industry.

With projections that the global space economy , the innovation will raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of new lightweight composites using 2D materials for space applications.

In an international collaboration, Dr Vivek Koncherry and his team – supported by the 91ֱ��-based – are creating a scaled prototype of a space habitat with pressurised vessels designed to function in a space environment.

SOM, the architects behind the world’s tallest building - Burj Khalifa in Dubai - are contributing design and engineering expertise to the space architecture. Daniel Inocente, SOM’s senior designer in New York, said: “Designing for habitation in space poses some of the greatest challenges - it means creating an environment capable of maintaining life and integrating crew support systems.

“As architects, our role is to combine and integrate the most innovative technologies, materials, methods and above all the human experience to designing inhabited environments,” added Inocente. “Conducting research using graphene allows us to test lightweight materials and design processes that could improve the efficacy of composite structures for potential applications on Earth and future use in space.”

In the next five to 10 years most governments are expected to want a permanent presence in space to manage critical infrastructure, such as satellite networks – as well as considering the potential opportunity of accessing space-based resources and further scientific exploration.

Dr Koncherry said: “A major barrier to scaling up in time to meet this demand is the lack of advanced and automated manufacturing systems to make the specialist structures needed for living in space. One of the space industry’s biggest challenges is overcoming a lack of robotic systems to manufacture the complex shapes using advanced materials.”

The solution is incorporating graphene for advanced structural capabilities, such as radiation shielding, as well as developing and employing a new generation of robotic machines to make these graphene-enhanced structures. This technology has the potential to revolutionise high-performance lightweight structures – and could also be used for terrestrial applications in the aerospace, construction and automotive sectors.

James Baker, CEO Graphene@91ֱ��, said: “The work being led by Dr Koncherry and his colleagues is taking the development of new composites and lightweighting to another level, as well as the advanced manufacture needed to make structures from these new materials. By collaborating with SOM there are opportunities to identify applications on our own planet as we look to build habitats that are much smarter and more sustainable.”

The space habitat launch coincides with a series of world firsts for graphene in the built environment currently happening here on Earth – including the first external pour of graphene-enhanced Concretene and  - all supported by experts in the city where the super strong material was first isolated.

Tim Newns, Chief Executive of MIDAS, 91ֱ��’s inward investment agency, said: “This exciting piece of research further underlines the breadth of applications where advanced materials and in particular graphene can revolutionise global industries such as the space industry. In addition to world-leading expertise in graphene, facilities such as the new , will also support the development of advanced machines and machinery required to bring these applications to reality.”

A team from The University of Manchester have engineered a common gut bacterium to produce a new class of antibiotics by using robotics. These antibiotics, known as class II polyketides, are also naturally produced by soil bacteria and have antimicrobial properties which are vital in the modern pharmaceutical industry to combat infectious diseases and cancer.

The naturally produced Escherichia coli bacteria are difficult to work with as they grow in dense clumps that are incompatible with the automated robotic systems used for modern biotechnology research. By transferring the production machinery from the soil bacteria into E. coli, the 91ֱ�� team is now making this class of antibiotics accessible for much more rapid exploration.

This breakthrough could be vital for the ongoing combat against antimicrobial resistance, as recently developed automated robotics systems can now be used to create new antibiotics in a fast and efficient way.

In this work, published in the journal , the group led by Professor Takano at The University of Manchester show the potential of this approach. By combining the bacterial production machinery with enzymes from plants and fungi, it was possible to produce new chemical compounds not previously seen in nature. Using this plug-and-play platform, it will now be possible to explore and engineer polyketides using robotic systems to develop new and diversified polyketides in an automated, rapid and versatile fashion.

Eriko Takano, Professor of Synthetic Biology said: “Nature is a huge treasure trove for powerful chemical compounds to treat a wide range of diseases. However, the most interesting chemicals often come from organisms that are difficult to work with in the laboratory.

“This has been a major bottleneck for our work on type II polyketides, a group of important chemicals, which are mostly produced by soil bacteria and other microorganisms that are challenging to grow. By successfully moving the production machinery for these compounds into the “laboratory workhorse” bacterium E. coli, we can finally produce and engineer type II polyketides in our rapid robotic systems.

“This not only allows us to trial new polyketides in an automated manner, but we will also be able to quickly rewrite the DNA sequences of the antibiotic biosynthesis pathways and combine them with new components from other organisms, such as medicinal plants and fungi, to produce variations on the antibiotic theme – including compounds that are not produced by the natural pathways, but may have enhanced or novel activities in the treatment of important diseases.”

It could take a person a whole year to make and test ten new potential antibiotics, but this automated robotic system can make thousands in that time. This would hugely decrease the time it takes for new antibiotics to reach patients, and provide the necessary agility to react to new pathogen strains and outbreaks.

 is one of The University of Manchester’s  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Scientists have been analysing the way birds jump when they take-off to help us understand why they simply don’t just fall over when attempting to fly.

The researchers, based in the at The University of Manchester, have been investigating the biomechanics of how birds jump, and will use the findings to design jumping robots in the future. 

Jumping robots that are highly agile and able to manoeuvre quickly through debris are extremely useful for exploring disaster zones such as earthquakes and floods.

To perform the standing start take-off that we often see birds do in nature, they have to lean so far forwards that their centre of gravity is well ahead of their feet. If they were to pause during this manoeuvre, they would simply tip forwards, fall over, and never take-off. But they don’t. That’s because the birds ‘pitch’ their bodies upwards during the take-off.

The researchers have found that by pitching the body upwards as the bird pushes off the ground or a perch it maintains stability in one fluid manoeuvre. This combination of pitching while accelerating has long been known in the field of walking biomechanics, but this is the first time it has been found and applied in relation to jumping.

The researchers also found that, as well as pitching, birds have a ‘compliance’ in their joints which allows them to flex in a unique way during a jump. Without this compliance the birds would experience ‘stutter’ or ‘chatter’ which is a high frequency vibration between the feet at the ground.

For the study the researchers used computer simulations to understand the stability of birds taking-off from a perch and from the ground.

Dr Ben Parslew, Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering and lead author, explains: “Traditionally jumping take-offs are viewed as conceptually complex to understand or try to recreate.

“But our research, for the first time, shows that you can ignore the movement of the individual leg segments, and the wing, and just treat a jumping bird as a single body.

“This is enough to understand how birds remain stable when they take-off and, more importantly, these findings teach us the fundamentals about how a jumping robot would have to move to avoid tipping over when it jumps.”

The study also found that a bird’s wings weren’t as fundamental in its take off as previously thought.

Dr Parslew added: “Jumping take-off in birds is an explosive behaviour with the goal of providing a rapid transition from ground to airborne locomotion. This study found that for jumping diamond doves, the wing contributes very little to the physics of take-off and ‘it's all about the legs’ with the wings only coming into play once the bird is airborne.”

REFERENCE: "" Royal Society Open Science, Ben Parslew*, Girupakaran Sivalingam, William Crowther - Royal Society Open Science 

Jumping robot spiders and swarms of robotic bees sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers at The University of Manchester are already working on such projects and aiming to lead the world in micro robotics.

But what will these kinds of robots be used for and is it something we should be worried about? Dr Mostafa Nabawy is the Microsystems Research Theme Leader at The University of Manchester’s . He is presenting some of his research, “Spiders Attack: The rise of bioinspired microrobots” at 91ֱ��’s on Thursday 1 March.

Here Dr Nabawy explains why micro robots really aren’t anything to worry about and, instead, could be the revolution in robotics that spearheads the next generation in manufacturing technology:

‘For our robotic spiders research we are looking at a specific species of jumping spider called Phidippus regius. We have trained it to jump different distances and heights, recording the spider’s every movement in extreme detail through high resolution cameras which can be slowed down.

‘We are now using this bio-mechanical data to model robots that can perform with the same abilities. With this extensive dataset we have already started developing prototype robots that can mimic these biomechanical movements and jump several centimetres.’

Why jumping spiders you ask? Unlike humans, these spiders can jump up to six-times longer than their own body length from a standing start. In comparison, the maximum a human can jump is just one and half times.

Dr Nabawy says if we can perfect the way spiders jump in robots they can be used for a variety of different purposes in complex engineering and manufacturing and can be deployed in unknown environments to execute different missions.

Dr Nabawy’s research and background is in aerodynamics, aircraft design, and the modelling of engineering systems. But he is now combining this expertise with bio-inspired flying and jumping technologies, including .

He added: ‘The ultimate aim is to create a robot bee that can fly independently and we’re quite a long way into that project. But there are also many different opportunities for brilliant science and engineering outcomes along the way so it is a very exciting process.

‘We’re aiming to create the world’s first robot bee that can fly unaided and unaccompanied. These technologies can also be used for many different applications, including improving the current aerodynamic performances of aircraft.

‘Or, imagine if the current trend of a declining bee population continues, swarms of robot bees pollinating crops and flowers could become a reality. Whilst this may sound like something out of a transformers film this is our ultimate aim. But don’t worry we are someway off swarms of flying mechanical bees and armies of mechanical spider robots.’

The  is looking at the future of the manufacturing industry, but will also look at topics ranging from Brexit and the Northern Powerhouse to skills shortages, cyber-security and blue skies technology.

A team of scientists have created a new generation of tiny remote controlled nanorobots which could one day allow doctors to diagnose disease and deliver drugs from within the human body.

The team led by Professor Li Zhang from the , including Professor from The University of Manchester, have created the bots from a biodegradable material called spirulina algae.

The algae, sold today as a food substitute in health food shops, was a source of nourishment during the time of the Aztecs.

But it was rediscovered in the 1960s by Lake Texcoco in Mexico by French researchers.

A paper by the team, published in hails the bots’ biodegradability as a new concept, in which an iron magnetic coating helps fine-tune the rate which they degrade.

The nanorobots can be remotely controlled within complex biological fluids with high precision using magnetic fields.

The team also describes how the bots are able to release potent drug compounds that are able to attack cancer cells.

However more work still needs to be done on motion tracking, biocompatibility, biodegradation, and diagnostic and therapeutic effects before clinical trials can take place.

Professor Zhang said: “Rather than fabricate a functional microrobot from scratch using intricate laboratory techniques and processes, we set out to directly engineer smart materials in nature, which are endowed with favorable functionalities for medical applications owing to their intrinsic chemical composition. For instance, because these biohybrid bots have a naturally fluorescent biological interior and magnetic iron-oxide exterior, we can track and actuate a swarm of those agents inside the body quite easily using fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging.

“Our microrobots have the ability to sense changes in environments associated with the onset of illness and that makes them a promising probe for remote diagnostic sensing of diseases.

“We must now develop this technology further so we are able to fine tune this image–guided therapy and create a proof of concept for the engineering of multifunctional microrobotic and nanorobotic devices.”

Professor Kostarelos said: “Creating robotic systems which can be propelled and guided in the body has been and still is a holy-grail in the field of delivery system engineering.

“Our work takes advantage of some elements offered by nature such as fluorescence, degradability, shape.

“But we add engineered features such as magnetisation and biological activity to come up with a the proof-of-concept behind our bio-hybrid, magnetically propelled microrobots.

He added: “We are still in early days of development since any such robotic system would need to be either completely and safely degraded, or it will need to be removed or excreted from the body after it has finished its work.

“But nevertheless, our work provides the first ever example of how this could be possibly achieved by degradation.

“The potential of these bots for controlled navigation in hard-to-reach cavities of the human body makes them promising miniaturized robotic tools to diagnose and treat diseases which is minimally invasive.”

The research teram included the Chinese University of Hong Kong, The  University of Edinburgh and The University of Manchester.

The paper ‘Multifunctional biohybrid magnetite microrobots for imaging-guided therapy’ is published in Science Robotics (DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaq1155) on 22 November, 2017.

Humanoid robots are a vanity project: an attempt to create artificial life in our own image – essentially trying to play God. The problem is, we’re not very good at it. Ask someone on the street to name a robot and you might hear “Terminator”, “the Cybermen” or “that gold one from Star Wars”.

What you’re not going to be given are names like , or . These are all robots, but they don’t follow the sci-fi narrative of what robots should be like. The fact is, the robots of the near future won’t be going about on two legs like the shuffling C3PO. And they’ll be much more efficient than us .

Our impression of what a robot is has been tainted by science fiction and popular culture. The term “robot” was first used in 1920 by Karel and Josef Čapek in a play called to describe an artificial automaton. Since then, our narcissistic desires have seen the word become synonymous with humanoid robots, or androids.

We like to think that we’re the dominant creatures on the planet, so mobile robots should look like us. But the fact is, they shouldn’t. We can’t fly, we’re not very good swimmers, we can’t live in a vacuum and if we want to travel more than a mile, most of us will get on some type of wheeled vehicles. Bipedal locomotion has served us well but it is limited and requires a and years of learning to perfect. The computer versions of our brain are nowhere near our level and are unlikely to be so for decades to come. After nearly 100 years of development, our most advanced humanoid robots can only just open a door without falling over (too often).

Is a plane a robot?

So what is the future of robotics? Well, it comes down to what you define a robot as. Unfortunately there isn’t a unified definition of what a robot is, but the general consensus is that it’s a physical device which can sense its surroundings and interact with the environment with limited human intervention. This could either be automation, where tasks are pre-programmed, or autonomy, where the robot makes decisions on its own.

Let’s say that I build a little four-wheeled robot that can move from point A to point B without crashing into anything. I can give it a map and tell it where to go and it will do so without any further instructions. This sounds quite nifty, but what’s the point of it? Well now let’s scale it up so you can sit in it. Now suddenly it’s not a robot, it’s a driverless car. But all that’s changed is the size.

I now want to fly off on my holidays. I quite happily get on the plane and see the two pilots in the cockpit. When I land, they’re still there and I think what a great job they did. More than likely though, the pilots didn’t actually fly the plane. They will have inputted commands to the autopilot and the computer will have flown the plane. The plane, for all intents and purposes, is a robot with human supervisors to take over if anything goes drastically wrong, just like a driverless car.

Planes, trains automobiles … and robots

The future of nearly all transport is mobile robots. We’re already there with robotic aircraft and within the next decade, we’ll have . Robots already  and . It won’t be too long before we have driverless trains and trams too.  will become a bigger part of society. All these things are robots, but they’ve had to be called something else due to societal impression of what a robot is.

What this highlights is that we adapt the technology to fit the environment. Rather than building robots that look like us so that they can be a direct replacement, you’ll start to see things being built to suit a problem. Why do you need a robot with complex hands to pick up a pair of scissors or a hammer, when it can be built into their arms? Why build a robot to  on two legs, when four or six legs – or a wheeled track – would be much more stable?

There is no doubt that eventually androids will be walking around and talking with us. You’ll pass them wandering down the street or hold a conversation with one as you do your shopping. But for now, the robots of the near future won’t walk like us. Instead they’ll drive, they’ll fly, they’ll swim or they’ll walk on any number of legs – except two.

, Lecturer in Robotic Systems, . This article was originally published on . Read the .

Researchers at The University of Manchester's  will lead a new multimillion pound robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) programme aiming to clean up the world’s nuclear waste.

Led by , Professor of Applied Control in the , the new Hub has been awarded £12 million to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the nuclear industry.

The hub will undertake world-leading research and develop innovative technologies to address issues such as decommissioning, waste management, fusion, plant life extension and new site builds.

Whilst being led by 91ֱ��, RAIN brings together expertise from the Universities of Oxford, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Lancaster, Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), as well as international partners from the US, Italy and Japan.

Prof Lennox, who is also part of the University's , says: "This is excellent news, not just for the universities involved, but the entire energy and nuclear sectors. It is also a testament to the world-leading research we are doing right here in 91ֱ��. We have already successfully tested robots at facilities such as Sellafield and in hazardous environments like Fukushima in Japan and this new investment will allow us to take these major developments to the next level."

The funding comes from a wider £68m awarded from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) of which £44.5m has been invested, over three and half years, for four research hubs, including RAIN, which will be managed by the .

Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC Chief Executive, said: “These new Robotics Hubs will draw on the country’s research talent to nurture new developments in the field of robotics and provide the foundations on which innovative technologies can be built. The resulting outcomes from this research will allow us to explore environments that are too dangerous for humans to enter without risking injury or ill-health.”

The overall funding comes from the Government’s £93m for the robotics and AI in extreme environments programme. Innovate UK and the Research Councils are taking a leading role in delivering this funding.

Ruth McKernan, Chief Executive of Innovate UK, added: “These pioneering projects driven by the very best minds in UK research and industry exemplify the huge potential of what can be achieved through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the long-term benefits for the UK economy. These are just the first competitions in robotics and AI, there will be further opportunities for businesses in the coming months.”

Energy

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons []

A team of researchers has today published the first study to show that each one of us has a unique 'control profile' that can be extracted by computer.

The team also showed the computer profile was the same over time and distinct from other people.

Led by University of Manchester Doctoral researcher , the study has implications for skills training, rehabilitation after stroke, and in transforming the way psychology is normally studied.

He said: “We've all witnessed how the latest technology can work out our own 'personal profile' from our shopping and viewing preferences online.

“But we find that technology could be used to profile our movements in the 'real' world.”

In the study, 20 volunteers used a joystick that controlled the position of a cursor on a computer screen.

A computer model, developed from a scientific theory known as perceptual control theory, was fitted to the cursor movements of each volunteer so it learned to behave in a similar way to the volunteer.

Researchers then recorded the movements produced by both models and volunteers when they tracked a series of new targets.

He added: “The match between the movements that the volunteers and their own personal model was very high, even one week later.

“In fact, each model was personal - it fit the person it was designed for better than other people’s models.”

The study, the first of its kind, suggests we may be able to monitor people’s unique performance profile - useful at both ends of the spectrum - from people who struggle to engage in activities when rehabilitating after a stroke - to professional athletes who aim to enhance their performance through training.

Dr Warren Mansell, who was on the research team, said: “The study also tells us that research doesn’t just tell us about the average person, or make generalisations about groups of people - like people with a specific diagnosis.

“These findings are known to be hard to repeat - leading to the 'replication crisis' in psychology.

“It may now be feasible to use science to understand each one of us, individually, with our own personal strengths and limitations. It opens up the possibility that the ‘woolly’ topic of psychology can be immediately practical and technically precise.”

is published in Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. DOI 10.3758/s13414-017-1398-2

The University of Manchester is leading a consortium to investigate advanced technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence, for the operation and maintenance of offshore windfarms.

The remote inspection and asset management of offshore wind farms and their connection to the shore is an industry which will be worth up to £2 billion annually by 2025 in the UK alone.

Eighty to ninety percent of the cost of offshore operation and maintenance according to the Crown Estate is generated by the need to get site access – in essence get engineers and technicians to remote sites to evaluate a problem and decide what action to undertake.

Such inspection takes place in a remote and hazardous environment and requires highly trained personnel of which there is likely to be a shortage in coming years.

The £5m project will investigate the use of advanced sensing, robotics, virtual reality models and artificial intelligence to reduce maintenance cost and effort. Predictive and diagnostic techniques will allow problems to be picked up early, when easy and inexpensive maintenance will allow problems to be readily fixed. Robots and advanced sensors will be used to minimise the need for human intervention in the hazardous offshore environment.

The use of robots will allow operation in difficult or hazardous environments: sub-sea to inspect cables, in high-voltage environments to inspect high voltage equipment and around the wind turbines to check their mechanical structures. The latest in advanced sensors will be used, for example sonar techniques to assess sub-sea cable wear and degradation in situ. This, along with state-of-the-art system modelling and artificial intelligence, will be used to best assess the data produced.

The University of Manchester’s , who is leading the three-year project, said: “The UK has world-leading expertise in the technologies and science in this area, but they have often operated separately. The UK have supported this project to bring them together for the first time to make a real step change in this industry.”

The project is a collaboration between the universities of Manchester, Durham, Warwick, Cranfield, Heriot-Watt and a consortium of companies from the offshore industry. Techniques will be trialled in an offshore test site in Scotland and a project demonstration will be given at Salford Quays, 91ֱ��.

Energy

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

University of Manchester scientists are leading a team which is to comprehensively map some of the world’s most radioactive sites using sensing technology mounted on an advanced robotic vehicle.

The world is home to a large number of sites which are contaminated with radioactive waste and require clean-up and analysis. Currently, the options to map and assess these sites are extremely expensive and time consuming – involving either removing samples for lab analysis or sending in remote sensors which only give part of the necessary picture.

The team, led by The University of Manchester, has been awarded a £1.6 million grant by to form a group which will develop a new robotic system with the ability to use a wider range of sensors than ever before to map nuclear sites.

Featuring optical spectroscopic techniques, advanced radiation detection methods and modern sensor technologies on remotely-operated vehicle platforms, each sensing technology will provide a piece of the ‘total characterisation’ jigsaw, together with 3D mapping of the material within the environment.

It will feature advanced robotics and control technologies, such as those used in NASA’s Curiosity Rover, to form the flexible platform necessary for trials in nuclear environments ranging from Sellafield in the UK, to Fukushima in Japan.

Principal Investigator, from The University of Manchester's , said: "This is an exciting project bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers to develop a really innovative system for remote characterisation of a range of nuclear environments which should lead to big improvements in the decommissioning process."

The Consortium, known as TORONE (TOtal characterisation by Remote Observation in Nuclear Environments), is also made up of scientists from Lancaster and Aston Universities, the National Nuclear Laboratory and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The project is for three years’ duration and starts on 1st March 2017.

The TORONE group will be working with Sellafield, and Sellafield Ltd Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lead, Dr Paul Mort, said: “Characterisation of materials is of critical importance on the Sellafield site. Improved understanding of what materials are and where they are in our facilities offers considerable benefits when we are planning and carrying out decommissioning activities.

“A technology that is cheap and able to be remotely deployed simply and quickly to inspect materials in-situ, will make it safer for humans and give an opportunity to get better data to make more informed decisions. This technology would have far reaching applications on site and has the potential to improve productivity, thereby reducing decommissioning timescales and costs.”

, Director of The University of Manchester’s , said: “As we decommission nuclear facilities around the world, it has become very clear that we have to be smarter, because that allows us to be quicker, cheaper and safer. New ideas, such as these, are vital if we are to do this.”

Lancaster University Co-Investigator Professor Malcolm Joyce said: “This is an exciting opportunity to integrate the state of the art in radiation detection and robotics.”

The news follows another recent announcement that the University of Manchester is to that are more durable and perceptive for use in nuclear sites.

For more information on research in this area, visit .

TORONE is led by UoM Principal Investigator Dr Philip Martin (School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences). Co-Investigators at UoM comprise Prof. Barry Lennox (School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and Prof Nick Smith (Royal Society Industry Fellow, Schools of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, seconded from NNL); Lancaster University Co-Investigator Prof. Malcolm Joyce (School of Engineering) and Aston University Co-Investigator Dr Michael Aspinall (School of Life and Health Sciences).

Funding of £1.6 million is from the EPSRC through its Remote Sensing in Extreme Environments call.

Energy

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

The University of Manchester is to lead a consortium to build the next generation of robots that are more durable and perceptive for use in nuclear sites.

The cost of cleaning up the UK’s existing nuclear facilities has been estimated to be between £95 billion and £219 billion over the next 120 years or so. The harsh conditions within these facilities means that human access is highly restricted and much of the work will need to be completed by robots.

Present robotics technology is simply not capable of completing many of the tasks that will be required. Whilst robotic systems have proven to be of great benefit at Fukushima Daiichi NPP, their limitations, which include relatively straightforward tasks such as turning valves, navigating staircases and moving over rough terrain, have also been highlighted.

The new group comprising 91ֱ��, the , and industrial partners , , and has been funded with £4.6m from The .

It will develop robots which have improved, power, sensing, communications and processing power. They will also develop systems which are able to address issues around grasping and manipulation, computer vision and perception. Importantly the robots will be autonomous – able to operate without direct supervision by humans.

The University of Manchester’s , who is leading this project, said: “This programme of work will enable us to fundamentally improve RAS capabilities, allowing technologies to be reliably deployed in to harsh environments, keeping humans away from the dangers of radiation.”

Within the next five years, the researchers will produce prototype robots which will then be trialled in both active and inactive environments. It is anticipated that these trials will include using robotic manipulators to autonomously sort and segregate waste materials and to use multiple robots, working collaboratively, to characterise facilities that may not have been accessed for 40 years or more.

The technology will not only have potential for improving robots used at nuclear sites, but also in other hostile environments such as space, sub-sea, and mining. Or in situations such as bomb-disposal and healthcare which are dangerous or difficult for humans.

The University of Manchester has already developed small submersible and ground-based vehicles that can be deployed to survey nuclear facilities which will be used in this project, allied with the skills and knowledge of the other partners.

Professor Lennox added: “If we are to be realistic about clearing up contaminated sites, then we have to invest in this type of technology. These environments are some of the most extreme that exist, so the benefits of developing this technology can also apply to a wide range of other scenarios.”

 is one of The University of Manchester’s  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Jaw-dropping and hair-raising science experiments will be the order of the day during the latest Spectacular Science takeover of Manchester Museum.

The hands-on day of amazing science, run by top scientists from The University of Manchester, offers challenges, live experiments, and interactive demonstrations to delight children and adults alike.

The Science Spectacular will be held on Saturday, 29 October from 10am to 4pm at the 91ֱ�� Museum on Oxford Road.

The completely free event will enable young people to create a superhero, become a cell explorer, or build a world of fungus all with the help of real scientists working at the University.

With their help, children will also be able to investigate our universe, make a mini robot dance, explore new wonder materials, and much, much more.

At the same time, our science buskers will be lining Oxford Road dishing out dazzling displays of scientific wizardry.

Sheena Cruickshank, University of Manchester Lead for Public Engagement with Research said: “This award winning event is a treasure of delights showcasing the variety of amazing and excellent science at The University of Manchester.

“91ֱ�� has a proud history of scientific discovery and by coming to the Science Spectacular you’ll be able to make some discoveries of your own!”

Further information about the Spectacular Science takeover of Manchester Museum can be found at .

Eve, an artificially-intelligent ‘robot scientist’ could make drug discovery faster and much cheaper.

A team from the Universities of Manchester, Cambridge and Aberystwyth has demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence by using Eve to discover that a compound shown to have anti-cancer properties might also be used in the fight against malaria.

Robot scientists are a natural extension of the trend of increased involvement of automation in science. They can automatically develop and test hypotheses to explain observations, run experiments using laboratory robotics, interpret the results to amend their hypotheses, and then repeat the cycle, automating high-throughput hypothesis-led research. Robot scientists are also well suited to recording scientific knowledge: as the experiments are conceived and executed automatically by computer, it is possible to completely capture and digitally curate all aspects of the scientific process.

In 2009, Adam, a robot scientist developed by researchers at the Universities of Aberystwyth and Cambridge, became . The same team has now developed Eve, based at the University of Manchester, whose purpose is to speed up the drug discovery process and make it more economical. In the study published today, they describe how the robot can help identify promising new drug candidates for malaria and neglected tropical diseases such as African sleeping sickness and Chagas’ disease.

“Neglected tropical diseases are a scourge of humanity, infecting hundreds of millions of people, and killing millions of people every year,” says , from at the University of Manchester. “We know what causes these diseases and that we can, in theory, attack the parasites that cause them using small molecule drugs. But the cost and speed of drug discovery and the economic return make them unattractive to the pharmaceutical industry.

“Eve exploits its artificial intelligence to learn from early successes in her screens and select compounds that have a high probability of being active against the chosen drug target. A smart screening system, based on genetically engineered yeast, is used. This allows Eve to exclude compounds that are toxic to cells and select those that block the action of the parasite protein while leaving any equivalent human protein unscathed. This reduces the costs, uncertainty, and time involved in drug screening, and has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

Eve is designed to automate early-stage drug design. First, she systematically tests each member from a large set of compounds in the standard brute-force way of conventional mass screening. The compounds are screened against assays (tests) designed to be automatically engineered, and can be generated much faster and more cheaply than the bespoke assays that are currently standard. This enables more types of assay to be applied, more efficient use of screening facilities to be made, and thereby increases the probability of a discovery within a given budget.

Eve’s robotic system is capable of screening over 10,000 compounds per day. However, while simple to automate, mass screening is still relatively slow and wasteful of resources as every compound in the library is tested. It is also unintelligent, as it makes no use of what is learnt during screening.

To improve this process, Eve selects at random a subset of the library to find compounds that pass the first assay; any ‘hits’ are re-tested multiple times to reduce the probability of false positives. Taking this set of confirmed hits, Eve uses statistics and machine learning to predict new structures that might score better against the assays. Although she currently does not have the ability to synthesise such compounds, future versions of the robot could potentially incorporate this feature.

Steve Oliver from the Cambridge Systems Biology Centre and the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge says: “Every industry now benefits from automation and science is no exception. Bringing in machine learning to make this process intelligent – rather than just a ‘brute force’ approach – could greatly speed up scientific progress and potentially reap huge rewards.”

To test the viability of the approach, the researchers developed assays targeting key molecules from parasites responsible for diseases such as malaria, Chagas’ disease and schistosomiasis and tested against these a library of approximately 1,500 clinically approved compounds. Through this, Eve showed that a compound that has previously been investigated as an anti-cancer drug inhibits a key molecule known as DHFR in the malaria parasite. Drugs that inhibit this molecule are currently routinely used to protect against malaria, and are given to over a million children; however, the emergence of strains of parasites resistant to existing drugs means that the search for new drugs is becoming increasingly more urgent.

“Despite extensive efforts, no one has been able to find a new antimalarial that targets DHFR and is able to pass clinical trials,” adds Professor Oliver. “Eve’s discovery could be even more significant than just demonstrating a new approach to drug discovery.”

The research was supported by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council and the European Commission.

Reference

Williams, K. and Bilsland, E. et al. . Interface; 4 Feb 2015.