A new robotics centre at Leeds University’s School of Mechanical Engineering opened towards the end of last month. Part-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the £4.3 million National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems (robotics.leeds.ac.uk) has been set up to drive innovation in a sector that the Government has picked out as a key growth area for the UK economy.

It is said to have the most advanced suite of robot-building equipment in the UK, including the latest ‘3-D printing’ and high-precision assembly technologies.

Rob Richardson, director of the facility, said: “We looked at the most innovative and exciting robots being developed across the world and asked ourselves what kit we’d need to build something even better. Leeds already has a great track record in robotics for surgical applications, patient rehabilitation, prosthetics and exploration, but the new facility will revolutionise our ability to turn new concepts into reality. We’ll be able to make robots that are smaller, more intricate, more flexible and more integrated than ever before.”

Professor Philip Nelson, the EPSRC’s chief executive, said: “Our investment in the National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems will help us attain the goals of the UK’s Robotics and Autonomous Systems strategy, which was launched earlier this year. The facility is being funded as a resource not only for researchers but also for industry. Forging partnerships with companies interested in developing ‘state of the art’ robotics is a key objective.”

Professor Nelson added: “The potential effects of robotics on the way we will live in the future are vast. Already, we have innovations that are improving health-care, manufacturing, nuclear safety and transport. Robotics has been identified by the Government as one of the areas where the UK can develop a technological edge, and this facility puts Leeds and the North of England at the heart of that effort. Our vision is to build a world-leading centre for robotics and autonomous systems.”