Academy of Robotics

Academy of Robotics is a UK-based artificial intelligence technology company that creates technology to automate repetitive tasks and logistics.[1]

Academy of Robotics
TypePrivate
IndustryRobotics, Technology
Founded2017
FounderWilliam Sachiti
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom
ProductsRobots
Robotics kits
Driverless delivery vehicles

History

The Academy of Robotics was founded by William Sachiti at Aberystwyth University in 2017,[2] the university's InvEnterPrize program provided the startup with a £10 000 award as seed money[3] to fund the company's development of its first major project, the Kar-go project. The company then partnered with a UK car manufacturer, Pilgrim Motorsports, to build the first Kar-go vehicle. [4]

In the same year, 2017, the company raised its first funding round by through the UK Financial Services Authority-approved platform Crowdcube to raise money for its Kar-go project.[5][6]

Kar-go Prototype Production in 2017

In July 2019 the company unveiled its first driverless delivery vehicle, Kar-go at Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] and in November 2019, the company announced a partnership with Eurovia UK, part of the Vinci group. Eurovia announced its plans to test the Kar-go technology to automate the delivery of small plant equipment, tools, materials and other components to and from a highway work site as well as the potential use of data collected by Kar-go as it travels, to determine the condition of roads.[13][14] The Kar-go Delivery Bot vehicle was then licensed to drive on the roads in the UK in 2020.

With funding from UK Research and Innovation for providing “No Human Contact Deliveries Via Semi-Autonomous Vehicles”[15] the company began making its first deliveries on the roads in the UK, delivering medicines to vulnerable people in Hounslow.[16][17]

The company invented Space-Bus, a mobile Command Station that is used to deploy and monitor autonomous vehicles using a proprietary Athena system. In November 2021, the company's mobile Command Station and Kar-go Delivery Bot were deployed in trials with the Royal Air Force at RAF Brize Norton.[18][19]

Flying Officer in the Control Chair of the Academy of Robotics Space-Bus Mobile Command Hub

In early 2022, the company's CEO, William Sachiti acquired the 26 acre former RAF radar base, RAF Neatishead and began renovating the site with the intention to lease parts of the site to his company, Academy of Robotics.[20][21] The RAF Neatishead site includes a network of private test tracks, 2 hangars and an approximately 4 acre underground Cold War era nuclear bunker as well as a heritage listed Type 84 radar. [22]

Partnerships

In November 2019 and Eurovia UK (part of the Vinci Group) announced their partnership to test the Kar-go technology to automate the delivery of small plant equipment, tools, materials and other components to and from a highway work site as well as the potential use of data collected by Kar-go as it travels, to determine the condition of roads.[13][14]

In September 2021 Academy of Robotics announced its trials with the Royal Air Force in the UK which saw its flagship Kar-go Delivery Bot vehicles and its Space-Bus mobile Command Station deployed to run errands to support the highly trained RAF personnel stationed on the UK’s largest air base, RAF Brize Norton.[18][19]

In December 2022 the company announced its partnership with Milton Keynes University Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust and its first trials in the hospital with its new Helper Bot, Milton.[23][24][25]

References
  1. "Meet the entrepreneur building robots, rescuing deer and bringing zebras from Ukraine". Eastern Daily Press. January 15, 2023.
  2. Houston, Niamh (2021-09-01). "Surrey man behind Academy of Robotics and driverless delivery car". SurreyLive. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  3. "Car-go delivers £10,000 InvEnterPrize - Aberystwyth University". www.aber.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  4. "Europe's first road-worthy autonomous delivery-bot demonstrated at CAV Scotland". November 13, 2019.
  5. "Academy of Robotics". Crowdcube.
  6. "Academy of Robotics raises over £292k in crowdfunding for driverless delivery vehicle". UKTN | UK Tech News. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  7. "Space farming, flying race cars and a Mars rover: Goodwood announces 'Future Lab' attendees". The Telegraph. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  8. "Autonomes Auto als Paketlieferant". Der Spiegel. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  9. Margolis, Jonathan (8 July 2019). "How an English duke brings patronage to technology". The Financial Times. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  10. Scammell, Robert (6 July 2019). "Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019: The top tech on show". The Verdict. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  11. "Kar-go is Europe's first road-worthy autonomous delivery vehicle". CNN. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  12. Dahad, Nitin (7 September 2019). "A Week in European Automotive: Reinventing the Car, Last Mile Robocars". The EE Times. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-10-18. Retrieved 2022-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Eurovia UK and British AI partner to trial new solutions in highway solutions". Highways Magazine. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  15. "No Human Contact Deliveries Via Semi-Autonomous Vehicles". UK Research and Innovation.
  16. "Kar-go Delivery Bot begins contactless delivery trials to care homes in the UK". Highways Today. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  17. "UK's first robot delivery vehicle completes landmark journey". The Independent. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  18. Browning, Oliver (22 September 2020). "Royal Air Force trialing the use of self-driving, zero-emissions cars". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  19. "Royal Air Force launches first trial of self-driving technology on its airbases". Defence Procurement International. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  20. Clark, Derin (14 May 2022). "'Tesla-like' robot hub set for Norfolk former RAF base". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  21. "RAF Neatishead becomes the new HQ of leading British autonomous robotics company". www.north-norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  22. Newton, Simon (12 May 2022). "Heart of Britain's Cold War defences gets new life as launch pad for cutting-edge tech". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  23. "NHS trials robot helper to relieve hospital workload". UKTN | UK Tech News. 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  24. "Milton Keynes hospital trials logistics robot". Robotics and Innovation. 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  25. Min, Roselyne (2023-02-01). "Hospitals are turning to helper bots to solve chronic staff shortages". euronews. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
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