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We are delighted to announce that Dr Alejandro Veliz Reye, Dr Mario Gianni and Dr Martin Stoelen from the University of Plymouth, in collaboration with Artemis Optical Ltd, are the official winners of the Epson’s 2018 Win-A-Robot Contest Competition.

The project aims to design and develop an intelligent sustainable work cell. The cell will embody a cognitive robotic system which will be composed of multiple heterogeneous mobile manipulators. This work cell will be capable of learning how to change its configuration and behaviours based on the changes of the production lines, where changes may concern with the type of products, of the materials, of the machinery and of the processes. Learning will make the overall system resilient to these changes and capable to meet the needs of present sectors without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own manufacturing needs.

The work cell will also (1) automate the manufacturing processes without the need of hard coding control programs, (2) proactively collaborate with human workers, (3) speed-up the manufacturing processes by replacing workers in repetitive tasks and (4) adapt its behaviours to the material and the equipment needed to achieve the task at hand. Finally, the work cell will work for nearly 24 hours daily thus improving production.