Robot Talk

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167

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Join us each week as we explore the exciting world of robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous machines. Each episode, Dr Claire Asher — science communicator and robot enthusiast — chats with roboticists from around the world to find out how their cutting-edge research is influencing the future of every aspect of science, technology, and engineering, from the mundane to the extraordinary.

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60 recent

June 12, 2026Episode 16031 min

Episode 160: Robotic blacksmiths - Edward Mehr

Claire chatted to Edward Mehr from Machina Labs about their RoboCraftsman that shapes complex metal parts for the aerospace, defence, and automotive industries. Edward Mehr is an entrepreneur and engineer specializing in advanced manufacturing, robotics, and artificial intelligence. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Machina Labs, he leads efforts to integrate AI-driven robotics into flexible, on-demand production systems. Under his leadership, Machina Labs is reshaping how industries such as aerospace, defence, and automotive approach metal forming and modern manufacturing. Before founding Machina Labs, Ed worked at leading technology companies, including Relativity Space, Averon, SpaceX, Google, and Microsoft. Support Robot Talk on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

June 5, 2026Episode 15934 min

Episode 159: Robot sensing and manipulation - Maria Koskinopoulou

Maria Koskinopoulou is an Assistant Professor in Robotics and Computer Vision at Heriot-Watt University. She co-leads the ARM²Lab – Autonomous Robotic Manipulation & Multi-Agent Systems Lab at Heriot-Watt and the National Robotarium, alongside Ignacio Carlucho. Her research interests include robotic manipulation, perception, robot vision, medical robotics, human-robot interaction, and machine learning. She is involved in major UKRI and EU-funded research projects advancing robotic manipulation, surgical and underwater robotics, autonomous assembly, and waste sorting. Check out the bonus episodes from the European Robotics Forum: https://www.patreon.com/posts/robot-talk-at-157276631 Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

June 1, 202634 min

Bonus Episode: Resilient Supply Chains for Robotics (ERF 2026)

This bonus episode features interviews from academic and industry experts at this year's European Robotics Forum in Stavanger, Norway. The first workshop I attended at ERF 2026 was on 'Robotics for Strategic Reindustrialisation', which focussed how to strengthen the resilience of Europe's manufacturing supply chains, including those for robotics hardware and software. This bonus episode was produced in collaboration with euRobotics — an international non-profit association that aims to boost European robotics research, development, and innovation.

June 1, 202637 min

Bonus Episode: Empowering Robotics with 6G (ERF 2026)

This bonus episode features interviews from academic and industry experts at this year's European Robotics Forum in Stavanger, Norway. On the second day of the conference, I attended a workshop on '6G Empowering Future Multipurpose Robotics', which explored opportunities, technical challenges, and requirements for connectivity in robotics. This bonus episode was produced in collaboration with euRobotics — an international non-profit association that aims to boost European robotics research, development, and innovation.

May 29, 2026Episode 15833 min

Episode 158: Autonomous robot deliveries - Ahti Heinla

Claire chatted to Ahti Heinla from Starship Technologies about their AI-powered delivery robots that operate independently on streets and sidewalks. Ahti Heinla is the co-founder and CEO of Starship Technologies, the world's leading autonomous delivery company building AI-powered robots that operate fully independently in real-world environments. One of the original engineers behind Skype's billion-dollar success, Ahti later made a quiet pivot into robotics, spending the past decade advancing practical, consumer-facing AI. Under his leadership, Starship has completed more than 10 million autonomous deliveries with a fleet of over 2,700 robots navigating streets, pavements, weather, and people, without human intervention. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

May 22, 2026Episode 15728 min

Episode 157: Generating new robot designs - Josie Hughes

Claire chatted to Josie Hughes from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) about using generative AI to develop new designs for robotic manipulators. Josie Hughes is an Assistant Professor at EPFL, where she established the CREATE Lab in 2021. She completed her PhD in the Bio-inspired Robotics Lab at the University of Cambridge, examining the role of passivity in bio-inspired manipulators. Her research focuses on developing novel design paradigms for designing robot structures that exploit their physicality and interactions with the environment. This includes the development of robotic hands, soft manipulators, and automation systems for applications focused on sustainability and science. This episode is powered by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency's Robot Dexterity programme, which aims to transform robotic capabilities and unlock a step-change in human productivity. Support Robot Talk on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/

May 15, 2026Episode 15633 min

Episode 156: Rugged robots for dangerous missions - Gavin Kenneally

Claire chatted to Gavin Kenneally from Ghost Robotics about robot dogs for defence, security, and public safety. Gavin Kenneally is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ghost Robotics, a company that has gained a reputation for pushing the boundaries of legged robotics technology. In his current role, Gavin spearheads a team of highly skilled engineers and researchers who share his passion for creating advanced robotics systems. Previously, he was Head of Product at Ghost Robotics, responsible for the mechanical design of the company's flagship product: the Vision 60 Q-UGV. Gavin has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and has authored six academic papers. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

May 8, 2026Episode 15524 min

Episode 155: Making aerial robots smarter - Melissa Greeff

Claire chatted to Melissa Greeff from Queen's University about autonomous navigation and learning for drones. Melissa Greeff is an Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen's University. She leads Robora Lab and is also an Ingenuity Labs Robotics and AI Institute member. Her research interests include aerial robots, vision-based navigation, and safe learning-based control. Melissa's expertise is in building autonomous aerial systems including previous experience in conducting field trials at various locations across Canada. She was listed as one of 50 women in robotics you need to know about in 2023 by the Women in Robotics organization. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

May 1, 2026Episode 15433 min

Episode 154: Visual navigation in insects and robots - Andrew Philippides

Claire chatted to Andrew Philippides from the University of Sussex about what we can learn from ants and bees to improve robot navigation. Andrew Philippides is a Professor of Biorobotics at the University of Sussex, where he co-directs the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics and the be.AI Leverhulme Doctoral centre for Biomimetic Embodied AI. His research combines biological experiments with robotics, modelling, and machine learning to understand how intelligent behaviour emerges from the interaction of body and brain acting in an environment. Focussing on visual navigation, he aims to understand the navigation and learning abilities of ants and bees to develop novel AI and biorobotic algorithms. This episode is powered by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency's Robot Dexterity programme, which aims to transform robotic capabilities and unlock a step-change in human productivity. Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/ Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

April 24, 2026Episode 15320 min

Episode 153: Origami-inspired robots - Chenying Liu

Claire chatted to Chenying Liu from the University of Oxford about how a robot's physical form can actively contribute to sensing, processing, decision-making, and movement. Chenying Liu is a Junior Research Fellow and an Associate Member of Faculty in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. She leads an independent research programme focused on embodied physical intelligence, exploring how robot design can integrate geometry, materials, and control to enhance autonomy and robustness. Her work aims to develop more efficient and resilient robotic systems by embedding intelligence directly into their physical structures. Support Robot Talk on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher

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