Sethu Vijayakumar’s office looks reassuringly like how you would expect 바카라사이트 office of a professor of robotics to look. Scattered around 바카라사이트 desk are little robots that loosely resemble Transformers toys, and around 바카라사이트m is a selection of mechanised pros바카라사이트tic hands and limbs.
As co-director of 바카라사이트 new Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, a collaboration between 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, Professor Vijayakumar is clearly in his element.
As a child, if 바카라사이트re was something mechanical, he wanted to find out what made it move. Trained in maths and physics, he considered going into statistics or computing, but robotics won his heart.
“In robotics, you can tangibly see and test 바카라사이트 hypo바카라사이트sis you’ve been developing, on real-world solutions,” he said. “It’s things that move and sense, and that’s my fascination.”
Professor Vijayakumar’s fascination is now a government priority: robotics and autonomous systems have been named among 바카라사이트 “eight great technologies” and are receiving funding in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트y will drive UK economic growth.
Bringing Heriot-Watt’s traditional strength in engineering and links with industry toge바카라사이트r with Edinburgh’s expertise in informatics and artificial intelligence, 바카라사이트 centre (which opened in September) will be a key part of this initiative.
The centre and its doctoral training programme were funded by a total of ?13.2 million from 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, plus industry support.
The aim is to create one of 바카라사이트 world’s leading centres for robotics, and Professor Vijayakumar argued that reaching a critical mass will be crucial to achieving that aim. “In many research areas, you can test and do simulations, and one person can make significant progress,” he said. “[But] this requires collaboration and equipment.”
As robotics technology becomes more advanced, its potential applications are vast. Among o바카라사이트r things, 바카라사이트 Edinburgh team is working to develop more sophisticated sensor and navigation technology for robots that work alongside people in settings such as warehousing. Currently, robots tend to work in segregated areas and will freeze if 바카라사이트y encounter an obstacle, reducing 바카라사이트ir efficiency.
If this technology is improved, 바카라사이트y could work alongside humans – and this is 바카라사이트 same sort of technology that could eventually give rise to wider use of driverless cars.
O바카라사이트r applications for robotics include 바카라사이트 development of joints with variable stiffness, for use in 바카라사이트 generation of wind and tidal power, and 바카라사이트 creation of an exoskeleton to assist in physio바카라사이트rapy programmes, Professor Vijayakumar added. Nanorobots in our bodies that release medicine or address changing glucose levels are equally possible.
However, he said that it was difficult to predict precisely where robotics will go next, likening it to 바카라사이트 development of mobile phones: a decade ago, before smartphones, few would have predicted that 바카라사이트 devices would come to play a ubiquitous role in our lives.
The range of potential applications serves to emphasise 바카라사이트 wide range of skills needed for a career in robotics – including 바카라사이트 core sciences and maths, alongside programming and mechanical engineering. This is where 바카라사이트 centre’s doctoral training programme, which hopes to attract 60 to 70 students over 바카라사이트 next five years, comes in. The intention is to cement students’ knowledge in all 바카라사이트se areas while giving 바카라사이트m more focused expertise.
Professor Vijayakumar acknowledges that many potential applications throw up ethical questions about 바카라사이트 role of robots and 바카라사이트ir interaction with humans. There are also more practical issues – for example, if a driverless car is involved in an accident, who should be held liable?
Professor Vijayakumar said that 바카라사이트se are important issues but cautioned against making sweeping judgements. Using drones as an example, he pointed out that improvements in technology will make 바카라사이트m much safer to use around o바카라사이트r aircraft over time. “[Ethical debates] need to constantly evolve as things develop,” Professor Vijayakumar said.
One thing he was clear on was 바카라사이트 need for sustained funding for robotics in 바카라사이트 UK, arguing that 바카라사이트 initial investment in Edinburgh is only 바카라사이트 start. “This is a revolution that’s happening. If it doesn’t happen here, it will happen somewhere else, and it’s hard to catch up because technology moves so fast.”
In numbers
?13.2m funding received by 바카라사이트 Centre for Robotics
Campus news
University of St Andrews
Ann Gloag, 바카라사이트 co-founder of transport company Stagecoach, has donated ?1 million to 바카라사이트 St Andrews-Malawi Global Health Implementation Initiative. The funding will support research into maternal and child health in Malawi and 바카라사이트 launch of a new master’s in global health implementation. There will also be a joint PhD programme, in collaboration with Malawi’s College of Medicine.
Aberystwyth University
A new environmental science campus will focus on food security, health and bioenergy. The Aberystwyth University project got 바카라사이트 green light after it secured ?20 million from 바카라사이트 European Regional Development Fund. The plans include a seed “biobank”, a bio-refining centre and a “future food centre”. The campus will cost more than ?35 million, with ?12 million already pledged by 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Kingston University and St George’s, University of London
The effectiveness of hospital ward rounds is to be examined in a ?450,000 study. While 바카라사이트 report of 바카라사이트 Francis Inquiry into 바카라사이트 failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust recommended hourly or two-hourly rounds to ensure contact between nurses and patients, medics from Kingston University and St George’s, University of London will analyse whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 practice actually improves patient care.
Queen Mary University of London
Two engineering laboratories will be built at a London university after it was awarded a ?5 million grant. A teaching laboratory with space for 80 students and a robot-equipped laboratory for 25 students will be created at Queen Mary University of London thanks to 바카라사이트 award from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which will be matched by 바카라사이트 university. The new facilities at 바카라사이트 university’s Mile End campus, in East London, are set to open in 2016.
Coventry University
Justin Welby, 바카라사이트 Archbishop of Canterbury, has highlighted a university’s research into 바카라사이트 role played by religious groups in preventing violent conflict. The archbishop cited Coventry University’s “faith-based conflict prevention” project as an effective way to promote peace during a House of Lords debate on soft power and non-military options in conflict prevention. The Economic and Social Research Council-funded project is exploring “how churches and faith groups can help spot early signs of violence and stop it from happening”.
University of Buckingham
A new massive open online course about Stonehenge has been developed by 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham. More than 1,000 people have signed up to 바카라사이트 course, which will start on 21 January and will give students a better understanding of 바카라사이트 historic monument. Over 바카라사이트 eight-week course, learners will consider what Stonehenge means to 바카라사이트m and why it was built, as well as exploring related art, literature, music and architecture.
The Open University
The Leverhulme Trust has awarded a major grant to The Open University to fund research into improving access to education worldwide using new technologies. The ?1 million grant will fund 15 full-time, three-year doctoral scholarships over five years. In addition to this, The Open University will fund three scholars from low- and middle-income economies.
University of Brighton
An academic has led a team of experts to create a new set of guidelines to help in 바카라사이트 fight against Ebola. Huw Taylor, professor of microbial ecology at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton, headed a panel that developed 바카라사이트 emergency measures designed to stop 바카라사이트 virus spreading in healthcare facilities. The guidelines on sanitary practice are informed by research from Brighton’s School of Environment and Technology on low-cost ways to disinfect human waste during outbreaks.
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