£4m centre will make region a world leader in robotic research

A total of £4.3m will be spent on the National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems at Leeds University.

It will give researchers and businesses access to a range of technologies including the latest 3D printing technology, a high-precision cutting system that fires a laser beam through a jet of water and “micromanipulators” for assembling tiny robots well beyond the capability of a human hand.

The university already has an established reputation in robotics for surgery, patient rehabilitation and prosthetic limbs.

The director of the Institute of Engineering Systems and Design at the university, Rob Richardson, said: “We looked at the most innovative robots being made around the world and made sure that the facility would have the capability to build them.

“We then added a suite of equipment that will enable us to build robots using new and innovative techniques. We will be building new robots that can do new things in areas that matter to people’s lives.

“The human body is built from rigid bones, soft tissue, muscles, sensory organs and communications pathways, all squeezed into the smallest possible space. We hope to be able to use this inspiration to build robots with ever more integrated parts and increased capabilities.”

The “microjet” cutter, which focuses a laser beam through a jet of water, will allow precise cutting of hard and soft materials from diamonds to thin plastic film.

A new ground-breaking suite of electronic test and measurement equipment will allow the creation of improved and miniaturised robots.

As part of further investment announced today, academics at Sheffield and Liverpool universities have been awarded £1m for work in the robotics field.

Other awards include the creation of a Centre for Cryogenic Energy Storage at Birmingham University which will be developed in partnership with experts from Hull University.

It uses off-peak electricity to liquefy air into a cryogenic liquid which is vapourised into gas during a process which drives a turbine, generating electricity when it is most needed.

Announcing the new funding, the Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said: “For Britain to get ahead in the global race we have to back emerging technologies and ensure our universities have the latest equipment. This capital investment will help scientists make new discoveries and take their research through to commercial success.”