Smarter Robot Bodies
Throughout history, humans have used tools and machines to reduce the burden of physical labour. Robots are increasingly able to act independently in complex and dynamic environments but advanced machines with basic hardware only go so far; to reap the benefits of smarter machines, we need smarter bodies.
Opportunity seeds
Outside the scope of programmes, with budgets of up to £500k, these opportunity seeds support ambitious research aligned to the Smarter Robot Bodies opportunity space.
From kangaroo-inspired robot locomotion to precise, dexterous, and versatile bioactuators, we're funding an array of projects across start ups, universities, and individuals to maximise the chance of breakthroughs.
Miniaturised Multimodal Sensors Mimicking Skin Mechanosensation for AI-Enhanced Neurovascular Precision
Rujie Sun, University of Southampton
Shape Changing Origami Inspired Probe for Autonomous Bi-directional Navigation for Multimodal Inspection in the Colon
Thrishantha Nanayakkara, Imperial College London
Smarter Motors for Smarter Robots
Christopher Wall, Cardiology Devices
Linkage-leg Principles for ‘Better Than Wheels’ Functionality
Jim Usherwood, The Royal Veterinary College at Hawkshead
Developing and Modelling Flexible Robotic and Cobotic Arms
Andy Whyte + Chris Mangnall, Adaptive Machine Patterns
Roo-bot Energy-Efficient Robot Locomotion Inspired by Kangaroos
Christofer Clemente, University of the Sunshine Coast
MORPH: Muscular Operative Robotic Precision Handler
Pietro Valdastri, University of Leeds
JumpSTAR: Jumping with Mechanical Precision and Stability Through Adaptive Resilience
Chengxu Zhou, University College London
This opportunity space is part of our rolling seed call experiment – see what's in scope for opportunity seeds in this space by reading the original call for proposals and apply at the link below.