51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Insect-inspired robots, drones that go where no humans can and eye-controlled wheelchairs are just some of the exhibits in the Robot Zone.

The is a free celebration of science and research at the College, with exhibits, hands-on demonstrations and workshops running alongside a talk programme and a series of music and dance performances.

This year the perennially popular returns and promises to be bigger and better than ever. A huge net will provide flying space for drones, insect-inspired robots will roam around a tunnel and robots designed to be worn on the body will also be on display.

One 51³Ô¹ÏÍø researcher who will be putting his work on show is Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan who is from the . He said: “We are looking at how bionics can enhance human performance. On our Bionic Augmentation stand, festival visitors will be able to punch with smart boxing gloves, operate a bionic limb and see how a person can control a robot with their own body.”

“We hope the Robot Zone will inspire a new generation of scientists and doctors into a career in medical technology,” says Dr Ferdinando y Baena, from the , whose Mechatronics in Medicine lab will showcase technologies designed to help medical staff.  

New tools designed to make movement rehabilitation more effective will also be on show. “We have developed interactive games that aim to make stroke recovery more entertaining and efficient. Visitors will be able to try the games and evaluate their movement skills,” says Professor Etienne Burdet, from the .

Experts in artificial intelligence will also join the Robot Zone for the first time.

“I’m interested in better understanding how the human brain works so that in the future we can use that knowledge to build more intelligent robots,” says computer scientist and exhibitor Dr Emma Robinson, from the

“Some types of artificial intelligence, like visual systems, try to copy the way the human brain works. These machines can be incredibly impressive but ultimately their lack of real understanding can lead to some fairly amusing misinterpretations.”

Younger festival-goers who have with their own ideas for a robot can take part in the School Robot Challenge. This asks budding engineers to design a robot then build it in a virtual world. They can also collect stickers of robot-parts from around the exhibition and use them to create a robot to take home.

Events run by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Robot Forum take place throughout the year.