With the help of Isis Innovation, professors Ingmar Posner and Paul Newman of Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science and Isis Innovation (its technology commercialisation group) have established a ‘spin-out’ company called Oxbotica to take advantage of new opportunities in robotics and autonomous systems.
It will ‘commercialise’ technologies developed by the Oxford Mobile Robotics Group (MRG).
Current MRG projects include robotic road surveys, low-speed driverless pods for urban transport, a robot electric car and robotic rovers for use on Mars.
Linda Naylor (pictured), the executive director of Isis Innovation, says: “Robotic technology has the potential to transform the fabric of our everyday lives, and Oxbotica will be a key part of this.”
Professor Posner said: “We believe that Oxford University’s robotics expertise can transform a wide spectrum of application domains. Our intended markets range from devices that survey our roads, buildings and chemical plants to autonomous systems for warehouse logistics and, of course, autonomous driving.”
Professor Newman said: “Transport remains an important application for robotic technology, but we are thinking bigger than any single application. In collaboration with partners, we can help to realise the Government’s vision of robotics as one of the UK’s ‘Eight Great Technologies’.”