About Bristol Robotics Laboratory (
www.brl.ac.uk)
The Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) is an academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK and builds on a collaborative partnership between the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and the University of Bristol, and is home to a vibrant community of over 200 academics, researchers and industry practitioners.
The primary mission of BRL is to understand the science, engineering and social role of robotics and embedded intelligence. In particular, the key challenges surrounding adaptive robotics, namely: dealing with people and their unpredictability, unstructured and uncertain environments, and equipping robots for flexible roles.
BRL research
BRL is a unique collaboration that harnesses the collective strengths of its partners. The Laboratory is currently involved in interdisciplinary research projects addressing key areas of robot capabilities and applications including: AI, smart automation, human-robot interaction, bio-energy and self-sustainable systems, tactile sensors and haptic feedback systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, driverless cars, swarm behaviour, assisted living technologies, non-linear control, medical and rehabilitation robotics, machine vision, nuclear robotics, unconventional computation, verification and validation, soft robotics and robot ethics.
BRL teaching
In addition to its core research activities, BRL offers PhD level research programmes through its EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. The Laboratory also offers a full range of taught courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Masters level research programmes and selected internships. BRL works closely with trade associations and industry networks, and hosts a variety of national and international robotics conferences, workshops and robotics competitions. BRL also runs and collaborates in exciting schools/public engagement projects at a number of locations across Bristol and the West of England.
Business support and incubation
BRL maintains strong national and international links with both industry and other research institutes and has an enviable track record of successful research and innovation. BRL jointly delivers the European funded ECHORD++ initiative, which helps businesses develop and deploy robotic technologies. The Laboratory is involved in multiple innovative applications of robotics for commercial and industrial exploitation, including an award winning Technology Incubator. BRL’s 50 desk Incubator provides physical space and facilities for early stage, high tech start-up companies, alongside a package of targeted business support that includes mentoring, technical guidance, and access to industry specialists and investors.
University Enterprise Zone
BRL’s research and business engagement has recently been boosted by the launch of the West of England University Enterprise Zone (Future Space), which adjoins the robotics laboratory, and opened in September 2016. Led by the University of the West of England, the UEZ provides a 4,000 sq m (43,000 sq ft) incubation and grow-on facility at UWE’s Frenchay Campus for businesses specialising in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS), Biosciences, Health Science and related sectors. It brings together industry, academic expertise and networks in the two Bristol universities and the wider city-region, providing access to advanced facilities and technical assistance, along with undergraduate and postgraduate placements, and graduate recruitment opportunities for businesses.
Below is a short video that introduces you to the Bristol Robotics Laboratory:
Reason to participate in Win-a-Lab-Makeover launched by Farnell element14
With the help of Win-a-Lab-Makeover we hope to introduce a major change in how our researchers and students work on their daily basis when having a need for basic mechanical and electronic components. Currently, every single person in need of such components would file an own order and store remainders of these orders in their individual research bays. Placing individual orders for every little detail requires us all to keep up with the challenges of delivery costs, minimum order numbers, delivery times and required storage space all throughout the lab.
We would like to overcome this situation and propose the installation of a proper storage for basic electrical and mechanical components, which would require a wall full of storage units with little drawers filled with an initial set of resistors, capacitors, diodes, potentiometers, connectors of various type, screws, nuts, etc. It would also include holders for cables and wire rolls and a basic set of wires with various thicknesses and colours. Having basic components in-house would safe us all lots of time and efforts. Basically everybody in the lab, students, researchers and people in our incubators have already faced difficulties with the current procedures and thus, we all could benefit from this new resource!
The plan is to make this resource sustainable after initial installation by charging users for their used components on respective budget codes. Granting us this lab-make-over would really help us significantly in overcoming our current difficulties in bringing resources together for the first setup of this new resource. Thus, we would be delighted if we would be selected as a final winner of this competition to be able to make a real everyday-life-change to all our students and researchers!
Who do you think deserves this lab makeover most? Cast your vote here: