Robot Dexterity
Backed by £57m, this programme aims to transform robotic capabilities and unlock a step change in human productivity
Why this programme
Breakthroughs in AI are transforming robotic abilities, but compared to staggering advances in computation, the development of robot bodies has stalled in recent decades. Today, robots cannot achieve the flexibility, speed and precision of human manipulation, rendering them useless for many of the difficult or dangerous tasks where we need them most.
The need to improve robot dexterity comes at a critical time. The proportion of the world’s population aged 65+ is set to triple by 2100, while labour deficits for physically demanding work are set to increase.
Robots have the potential to ease these labour shortages and boost prosperity but to do so we must close the gap between what robots and humans can handle.
What we’re shooting for
We’re looking to fund an array of cutting-edge research across robotic hardware and advanced simulation to demonstrate a paradigm-shift in robotic abilities.
Our goal: to release the bottlenecks in robotic dexterity and create vastly more capable and useful machines.
We are also awarding opportunity seed funding in Smarter Robot Bodies, for proposals that fall outside the scope of this programme. The first call is now closed but we’ll be launching a second window for applications midway through 2025.
Documents and links
Additional context for this programme
- Opportunity space: Smarter Robot Bodies [PDF]
- Programme thesis: Robot Dexterity [PDF]
- Jenny’s solicitation presentation
- Programme workshop report [PDF]
- Call for proposals – TA1 [PDF]
TA3 Applicant resources
About ARIA funding
If you require accessible documents, please contact clarifications@aria.org.uk.
This programme is split into four technical areas (TAs), each with its own distinct objectives.
Novel hardware for robotic dexterity
TA1
Socioeconomic impact
TA2
Facilitating modularity, interoperability and common standards in robotics
TA3
ARIA robotics prize
TA4
Apply for TA3: call for Expert Committee
Deadline: 27 November 2024 [12:00 GMT]
The second solicitation for this programme is focused on TA3: facilitating modularity, interoperability, and common standards within robotics. These are defined by the Robotics Growth Partnership as:
- Modularity: a shift to modular architectures that enable smart machines to be maintainable, adaptable, and extensible;
- Interoperability: a digital commons to connect these smart machines in real-time, to the digital shadows + twins that optimise their behaviours and capabilities, and to the smart services that orchestrate and coordinate their activities;
- Common standards: Establishing hardware and software components that support interoperability and the creation of pre-competitive building blocks to accelerate innovation + reduce development costs.
Historic underinvestment in these areas have resulted in duplicated efforts, increased development costs, and limited compatibility between different robotic systems. We want to catalyse a shift towards a more streamlined and interconnected future for the sector.
Through TA3, we’re seeking to gain clarity on which bodies need to be convened to facilitate breakthroughs in these three areas; identify the areas in which improved software and hardware modularity would lead to major time and cost savings; and outline the standards required, as well as who is best placed to create them.
To answer this and similar questions, we’re recruiting an Expert Committee of four to five individuals with diverse backgrounds + deep knowledge on robotics. The Committee will:
- Collect evidence from stakeholders across the robotics sector to understand the challenges + opportunities;
- Design and host at least one in-person workshop event to bring stakeholders together for in-depth discussion + knowledge exchange;
- Produce a comprehensive summary report of specific, actionable recommendations to advance modularity, interoperability, and common standards in robotics.
*Applicants must be available for interview between 3 and 9 December; the final Expert Committee must then be available to attend a kick-off meeting in w/c 16 December and a one-day, in-person workshop between 10 and 21 March 2025. See key dates below + in the call for proposals.
Previous funding calls within Robot Dexterity
TA1
The first solicitation for this programme focused on TA1, in which we sought R&D Creators – individuals and teams that ARIA will fund and support – to:
- Create one or more novel robotic manipulators, demonstrating a dexterous ability that far exceeds what’s possible today or likely to be achieved by existing approaches; substantial improvements over the status quo in both performance and robustness, while not introducing any deal breakers in terms of cost, size, infrastructure or scalability;
- Develop new techniques for designing robotic hardware and control software.
- Produce advances in relevant technologies such as actuation and haptic sensing.
Applications are now closed. Creators within TA1 will be announced in due course.
Meet Jenny
Robot Dexterity has been designed and overseen by Programme Director Jenny Read with feedback from the R&D community, as part of the opportunity space Smarter Robot Bodies.
Jenny is a visual neuroscientist, previously trained in theoretical astrophysics. Her work focuses on how we can build smarter bodies for robots through new modes of sensing, transmission of sensory information, and actuation through hardware advances. Jenny joined ARIA from her role as Professor of Vision Science at Newcastle University.
