new international research centre designed to create robotics and autonomous systems that will play a key role in the climate response has been developed in partnership with The University of Manchester and Jacobs.
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 Prometheus Underground 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.”
