Claire chatted to Vassia Simaiaki from Wayve all about computer vision, artificial intelligence, and self-driving cars. Vassia Simaiaki is passionate about taking research into application and has spent the last decade of her career in computer vision. She leads AI research in vision and graphics at Wayve. Her focus is pushing the boundaries of novel view synthesis and continuing to accelerate the driving performance of autonomous vehicles. Vassia has a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and MSc in Neuroscience from Imperial College London. She thrives on solving hard problems and building high-performing teams of engineers and scientists focusing on AI applications. Join the live audience! Robot Talk will be returning for another live episode recording this June, as part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival in London. 'Humans 2.0: Robotically Augmented People' will be held at the V&A Museum at 1.30pm on Sunday 16th June. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Danesh Tarapore from the University of Southampton all about fault detection, division of labour, and robot swarms. Danesh Tarapore is an Associate Professor at the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. Danesh has addressed a diverse range of challenges in fault detection and recovery in robot swarms. He is also keen to push robot swarms out of their carefully controlled laboratory environments and into the real world, pursuing applications for robot swarms in marine exploration and in forest monitoring. Research on resilient robots that he has collaborated on has been featured on the front cover of the Nature magazine and received widespread media coverage. Join the live audience! Robot Talk will be returning for another live episode recording this June, as part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival in London. 'Humans 2.0: Robotically Augmented People' will be held at the V&A Museum at 1.30pm on Sunday 16th June. Find out more: https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/event/humans-20-robotically-augmented-people/  Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Ella Maule from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory all about community robotics and the social side of robot design. Ella Maule is a PhD Student in Ethical & Sustainable Futures at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory and a co-lead of Women in Robotics UK. Grounded in the principles of Responsible Innovation, her research explores the concept of Community Robotics, which centres communities as users of, and stakeholders in, robotic technology innovation. She is passionate about increasing equity, accessibility and inclusivity in robotics and, alongside her Women in Robotics UK colleagues, has developed and delivered workshops and events across the country. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Stephen Oram from Nudge the Future Fiction all about applied science fiction and the quirks and perils of new technology. Stephen Oram writes near-future science fiction, exploring the intersection of messy humans and imperfect technology. He also works with scientists and technologists on projects that explore possible future outcomes of their research through short stories. He is published in several anthologies, including the Best of British Science Fiction 2020 and 2022, and has two published novels and three collections of sci-fi shorts. His recent collection – Extracting Humanity – includes stories from the projects with scientists. Robot Talk will be taking a break next week, but we’ll be back in April with more interesting guests and cool robots.  Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Patricia Shaw from Aberystwyth University about home assistance robots, and robot learning and development. Patricia Shaw is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Robotics at Aberystwyth University. Her current research interests include technology for assistive living and she is currently leading on establishing a new Smart Home Lab at the university. This new lab will be used to research, develop and test a wide range of sensing technology for monitoring activities in the home as well as robots ranging from companions to assistants around the home. She strongly supports public engagement and has been coordinating regional robotics week events for the last 6 years. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Andrew Starr from Cranfield University all about robot maintenance and railway inspection robots. Andrew Starr holds a PhD in condition monitoring of robotic production systems and is a Chartered Engineer. His career started with British Aerospace, before working for the University of Manchester, University of Huddersfield, and the University of Hertfordshire. At Cranfield University he is Professor of Maintenance Systems, and former Head of the Centre for Life-cycle Engineering and Management. His research is in monitoring of mechanical systems with special interests in railways, aero gears, sensor systems, and maintenance optimisation through data fusion. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Antonia Tzemanaki from the University of Bristol all about hand exoskeletons, robotic hands, and teleoperation. Antonia Tzemanaki is Senior Lecturer in Robotics at the University of Bristol and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Prior to this, she was Lecturer in Mechatronics at the University of the West of England. Her research includes human and robot hands, hand exoskeletons, haptics and wearable robotics, especially with applications in surgery, preventative medicine, rehabilitation, physiotherapy and dexterous tele-operation, as well as extreme environments (nuclear and space). Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Edward Johns from Imperial College London, all about robotic manipulators, learning, and artificial intelligence. Edward Johns is the Director of the Robot Learning Lab at Imperial College London, where he is also a Senior Lecturer. He completed a PhD in Computer Vision at Imperial College and was then a Research Fellow in the Dyson Robotics Lab at Imperial College. In 2017, he was awarded a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship. Since founding the Robot Learning Lab in 2018, he and his team have been developing efficient methods for robots to learn new skills for physically interacting with objects, with a particular emphasis on everyday tasks. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Maria Jose (Marisé) Galvez Trigo from Cardiff University all about human-robot interaction, machine learning, and accessibility. Maria Jose Galvez Trigo (Marisé) is a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University, and part of the Human-centred Computing (HCC) Research Section and its Subgroup in Computational and Human-centred Robotics. Marisé is interested in Robotics, Human-Robot Interaction, Human-Computer Interaction and applications of Machine Learning in those areas, with accessibility and co-design as key aspects of her research. Within those areas, her research explores how the uptake of robotics systems can be improved. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Rafael Lopez from Robotnik Automation all about mobile robots, logistics, and inspection. Rafael Lopez has a degree in Telecommunications Engineering. He worked in research and development at Althea Productos Industriales before joining IBM as a System Engineer for wide area networks in Madrid and Barcelona. He co-founded Robotnik in 2002, where he was the Research and Development Manager, participating in and managing many EU projects. After the acquisition of Robotnik by United Robotics Group in 2023, he became Managing Director of the company. In 2017 he joined the board of Directors of the Spanish robotics technology platform Hisparob. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads or Mastodon You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Virginia Ruiz Garate from Mondragon University all about assistive robotics, mobility, and bio-inspired control. Virginia Ruiz Garate obtained her PhD in 2016 in bio-inspired control for leg exoskeletons at the Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium. Later, she worked on new bio-inspired grasping methods for robotic hands at the Italian Institute of Technology. She then became Associate Professor in assistive robots at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Currently, she is a Lecturer and Researcher in Robotics at Mondragon University. Her research interests include robotic grasping and manipulation, bio-inspired control, assistive robotics and human-robot interfaces. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, BlueSky or Threads.  You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Josh Caputo from Humotech all about robotic prostheses, exoskeletons and prototyping. Josh Caputo has a background as a multi-disciplinary engineer focused on robotics. He developed a passion for wearable technology working in the Experimental Biomechatronics Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University. His early work focused on studying powered push-off in prosthetic foot and ankle devices. In 2015, Josh founded Humotech to support clinical trials, commercialization and research and development efforts in wearable robotics. Josh’s dream is to see the field expand dramatically in size and innovativeness so that anyone, anywhere can realize their mobility goals. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, BlueSky or Threads.  You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Elizabeth Sklar from the University of Lincoln all about agricultural robotics, human-robot teams, and sustainability. Elizabeth Sklar is a Professor of Agri-Robotics and Research Director at the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT), at the University of Lincoln, UK. Her research investigates the implementation of intelligent methodologies in the context of multi-robot teams, human-machine teaming, behaviour mining and data-backed decision making, most recently applied within the agri-food pipeline. She is co-founder of the international educational initiative RoboCupJunior and currently serves on the editorial board for the journal Current Robotics Reports. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, BlueSky or Threads.  You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Rolf Mueller from Virginia Tech all about biomimicry, flapping-wing flight, sensing, and artificial intelligence. Rolf Mueller has studied bat biosonar from the perspectives of biophysics and bioinspired engineering for over 20 years. He has worked on statistical signal processing of sonar signals in complex, natural environments, biosonar beamforming, as well as biomimetic sonar systems. The overarching goal of his current research is meeting the sensory information needs of autonomy in complex natural environments. Besides serving as the Lynn professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, he directs the University of Brunei - Virginia Tech International Laboratory. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is: Sign up to our newsletterShare our competition post on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, BlueSky or Threads.  You can enter across multiple platforms. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month!  Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Kris Dorsey from Northeastern University all about wearable soft robots, healthcare and rehabilitation. Kris Dorsey is an associate professor in the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences and a core faculty member at the Institute for Experiential Robotics at Northeastern University. Her current research interests include reconfigurable, novel morphology, and active soft sensors and the design of soft sensors for soft robot actuators and wearable medical and rehabilitation devices. Kris’ work has been recognized by an NSF CAREER award and the Emerging Leader ABIE Award in honor of Denice Denton. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Jims Marchang from Sheffield Hallam University all about security, privacy, and trust in healthcare robots. Jims Marchang completed his Ph.D. from the CSCAN Research Laboratory, University of Plymouth, UK. He is currently a Sr. Lecturer in Cybersecurity and leads a Secure Intelligent Cyber research cluster and co-lead Digital, AI, and Robotics at Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. His research focuses on building user-centric secure-by-design and privacy-by-design solutions in healthcare technologies. Robot Talk will be taking a two-week break over the holidays, but we’ll be back in January with more fascinating guests and awesome robots.  Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Katarzyna Szopinska from KUKA all about all about software and hardware for medical robotics. Katarzyna Szopinska studied medical and mechanical engineering in both Warsaw and Munich. She got her first professional experience at Brainlab in Munich and then at KUKA where she started as mechanical engineer to later switch to portfolio and product management for the medical robotics business of KUKA, where she had been working since 2019. Katarzyna has worked on the definition of multiple software and hardware products for the medical sector, among other things on new software features for the LBR Med robot. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Rav Chunilal from Sellafield all about robotics and AI for nuclear decommissioning. Rav Chunilal is the Head of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence at Sellafield Ltd, the UK's largest nuclear site. He is responsible for developing and deploying Robotics and AI technologies to decommission the site safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. Under Rav's leadership, Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Group has established itself as a leader in the use of Robotics and AI for nuclear decommissioning. The company has developed and deployed a wide range of robotic technologies to perform tasks such as remote inspection, waste handling, and demolition. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Ayse Kucukyilmaz from the University of Nottingham about collaboration, conflict and failure in human-robot interactions. Ayse Kucukyilmaz is Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham and a founding member of the CHART research group. Her research focus is human-centered robotics, where she specialises in haptic shared and traded control for physical human-robot interaction. Her group primarily works on adjustable autonomy paradigms to enable dynamic switching behaviours between different levels of robotic autonomy (e.g. full human control vs. full autonomy) during shared control of a physical task, enabling effective human-autonomy teaming. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.

Claire chatted to Jorvon (Odd-Jayy) Moss from Digikey about making robots at home, and robot design and aesthetics. Commonly known as Odd-Jayy, Jorvon Moss is an accomplished Maker best known for his Robotic Oddities. Jayy’s art background, BFA in Illustration, and self-taught electronics skills have combined to help launch his career and promote the wonderful world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math). This achievement, and the many viral videos under his belt, gained him recognition from major forces in the industry; including Digi-Key Electronics, Tested Inc. with Adam Savage, various electronic and tech Faires, and as the first Black person in Make Magazine. Win a Robot Talk T-shirt For a chance to win your very own organic cotton Robot Talk t-shirt, all you have to do is share your favourite episode on social media and tag us @RobotTalkPod. One lucky winner will be randomly selected each month. Find out more: https://www.robottalk.org/t-shirt-competition/.