Last night I attended the INNOVATE ROBOTICS talks as part of Visit Scotland’s INNOVATE THE NATION initiative. Three excellent speakers Dr Kasim Tersic, Dr Phillip Anderson and Dr Oli Mival gave a very interesting and informative insight to the world of robotics. I learned many interesting facts about robotics and how they are going to change the future. Automation is going to happen and we need to prepare for it. Study of nature will help greatly in robotic technology, for example Bees have poor vision but great navigation, Harris Hawks have amazing navigational skills through forest for short periods when hunting. The robots of my childhood such as Robby The Robot from the Forbidden Planet, G.U.N.T.H.E.R., (General Utility Non Theorizing Environmental Robot) from Lost In Space and of course Data from Star Trek will soon be a reality.
I attended both as I have a professional interest in underwater robotics as a deep-water marine archaeologist and in my role of supporting events in Fife as a Fife Ambassador. The event was very well organized and attended. I look forward to further INNOVATE THE NATION talks
Neil Cunningham Dobson 