Robotics Lab
Automation
Robotic automation of physical work — approached with the same discipline the lab applies to research and safety.
Overview
Automation, done well, is a systems problem: perception, action, safety, integration and change management all matter as much as the robot itself.
The lab's automation work focuses on projects where robotic autonomy is genuinely better than the alternative — not automation for its own sake.
What this covers
Task modeling
Explicit task models rather than opaque end-to-end policies.
Safety envelopes
Assured safe behavior under perception and control uncertainty.
Human integration
Automation that plays well with the humans still in the loop.
Reliability engineering
MTBF, degradation modes and maintenance are first-class.
Integration
Cleanly integrates into existing operations and IT systems.
Measurable outcomes
Deployments are judged on operational metrics, not demos.
How it works
- 1
Candidate task is modeled with success and safety criteria.
- 2
Pilot cell built with instrumentation for reliability.
- 3
Human integration and operational handover designed jointly.
- 4
Deployment measured against baseline operational metrics.
Use cases
Industrial partners
Automating a task where humans are stretched thin.
Reliable augmentation, not fragile replacement.
FAQ
Frequently asked
- Where the research question benefits; the lab is not a systems integrator.