OU secures Innovate UK funding to help shape the future of urban robotics

Following the launch of the Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub during MK Tech Week, researchers at The Open University have secured just over £200,000 in Innovate UK funding to investigate how towns and cities can make informed decisions about the adoption of robotics technologies. 

As robots become increasingly visible in everyday life, from autonomous vehicles and drones to delivery and social robots, policymakers and public bodies face complex questions about how these technologies should be governed and deployed.

The new research project, which will run until 2030, will address these challenges by developing practical frameworks to help decision-makers understand the urban futures that robotics technologies could create and how they can maximise benefits while avoiding unintended consequences.

The funding forms part of the wider Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub, announced during MK Tech Week and established to accelerate the adoption of robotics technologies and innovation across urban environments. The Open University's research contribution focuses on a critical challenge identified by previous studies: while urban robots have been successfully adopted in some locations, implementation remains uneven, often because organisations lack the institutional capacity needed to make informed decisions about their use.

Research by the OU team will be led by Dr Miguel Valdez and Professor Matthew Cook from the School of Engineering and Innovation, drawing upon the school’s collective expertise in AI and robotic design, transport, architecture, urban planning and geography.

Dr Valdez said: “The launch of the Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub highlights the UK's ambition to accelerate robotics innovation. Our role is to ensure that alongside technological development, we build the knowledge and governance frameworks needed to support responsible adoption and deliver meaningful public benefit."

The project will provide governance actors, including local authorities and policymakers, with evidence and tools to support responsible and equitable adoption of urban robotics. By addressing knowledge gaps around governance, regulation and public benefit, the research aims to ensure that advances in robotics contribute positively to the future of towns and cities.