“We’re 27th or 28th in the world’s league table when it comes to robotics depending on how you measure it—and that’s not where we should be.” Stewart Miller doesn’t mince words when asked about the UK’s position in the global robotics race. “If you look at how many robots we have per 100,000 workers, or […]
“We’re 27th or 28th in the world’s league table when it comes to robotics depending on how you measure it—and that’s not where we should be.” Stewart Miller doesn’t mince words when asked about the UK’s position in the global robotics race.
“If you look at how many robots we have per 100,000 workers, or how many companies are using them, we’re well behind countries like South Korea, China, or even Vietnam. We’ve got work to do.”
Miller is the CEO of the National Robotarium, the UK’s flagship centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, located at Heriot-Watt University’s campus in Edinburgh.
Officially opened in September 2022 and backed by £21m of government funding, the Robotarium’s name nods to Victorian-era ambition and innovation.
But don’t let its old-fashioned ring fool you—it’s far from a dusty museum piece. This cutting-edge facility is a proving ground for robotics tackling real-world challenges today.
And Miller’s goal is clear: help Britain and its industries catch up in a market that is projected to reach $260billion by 2030.
Since opening, the Robotarium has worked with hundreds of companies across the UK—everything from large enterprises seeking automation solutions to nimble start-ups building the robots themselves.
Robotics: The National Robotarium in Edinburgh opened its doors in 2022
The team offers engineering support, testing facilities, and project management to help organisations design, develop, and deploy robots tailored to their needs.
“Sometimes we start from scratch,” says Miller. “Other times we’ll take an off-the-shelf platform and adapt it. We’ve tested warehouse robots to make sure they survive harsh environments, helped develop prosthetics, underwater drones, even grain health monitors in silos.”
There are currently up to a dozen companies in residence, with another dozen receiving external support.
One recent example includes a pharmaceutical company that collaborated with the Robotarium to develop a precision robotic system for its production line—now poised for commercial integration.
“We also provide space for researchers who want to try out ideas. We’ve got £4 million worth of robotics kit and huge experimental spaces to work in,” Miller says.
“But the most important thing we do might be public outreach. Schools, policymakers, the public—we want them to understand how robotics will impact their lives. Not in 50 years. In five.”
From avionics to caring companions
Miller’s own route into robotics began in jet aircraft and avionics, taking a left turn into innovation management at aerospace giant Leonardo, where he became fascinated with turning ideas into reality.
That curiosity eventually led to the engineer to stint as acting CTO at Innovate UK during the pandemic—contributing to the government’s innovation strategy—and then the opportunity to shape the Robotarium from the ground up.
“It was a blank piece of paper,” he says. “I got to build the team, define the culture, and focus on one question: how do we help great ideas in robotics become real-world solutions?”
It’s an approach that’s already borne fruit. One standout project, developed by two PhD students with Miller’s support, began as a social robot mock-up made of wood.
It’s now a functioning companion robot called MAAH, commercially available through a start-up named Konpanion. “That thing has an on/off button. It talks. It reacts to touch. It’s a real product now,” says Miller.
So why should UK businesses care about robotics now? Miller sees a perfect storm of reasons.
“There are massive workforce gaps in almost every sector—healthcare, logistics, agriculture, manufacturing,” he says. “This isn’t about robots taking jobs. It’s about filling roles that nobody wants or nobody’s available to do.”
And the economics have changed. A six-axis robotic arm that cost £100,000 five years ago now sells for around £30,000. Robots are easier to program, more reliable, and often operate with minimal training. The cost of ownership has plummeted, but many British firms, Miller says, haven’t kept up.
“Some of the companies we work with are still sending faxes. They haven’t invested in new tech for decades.”
Beyond cost, the capabilities of robots have exploded. Once confined to pick-and-place tasks in factories, robots now roam farms, assist in hospitals, and flip burgers in restaurants. Even in the domestic market, Roombas and robotic lawnmowers are opening the door to wider adoption.
Cobots and beyond
Today’s robots don’t just operate alone. They’re increasingly designed to work alongside humans—a concept known as ‘coboting’.
“Ocado’s robots, for example, are older industrial types that don’t go anywhere near people. But the new generation? They’re full of sensors and safety features. They’ll stop if someone gets too close. They can work safely next to humans in a shared space.”
This shift has been especially significant in mobile robotics. Autonomous ground robots (AGRs) and guided vehicles (AGVs) now come with obstacle detection and environment awareness baked in.
But perhaps the biggest leap, says Miller, has come in humanoid robots.
“In the last 18 months, the number of companies building humanoids has exploded. These things walk, balance, grip, and perform tasks like never before,” Miller explains. “And the price points are starting to make them viable outside of research labs.”
Humanoid robots like Ameca are refining their skills thanks to cloud-based AI training
One key enabler? Cloud-based AI training. Robots can now learn new tasks in virtual environments—failing and refining their skills at the speed of light—before downloading those abilities and executing them in the real world.
Cosmos: a “ChatGPT moment” for robotics
“Want a robot to cook a curry? That used to be a PhD-level challenge. Now, it’s something you can simulate, test, and deploy in days.”
Have we cracked the egg yet?
In terms in cooking any kind of meal – and other every day human tasks for that matter – dexterity remains a major benchmark.
For years, researchers have used the so-called “egg test” to gauge whether robots could handle delicate tasks. The goal: pick up and crack an egg without breaking it in your hand. According to Miller, that challenge is no longer a bottleneck.
“It’s not the test anymore. Now it’s about adaptability—can you go from cracking an egg to wiring a circuit to folding laundry? And the answer, increasingly, is yes.”
That progress has spurred new research directions. One team in the Robotarium’s orbit is now developing artificial robot skin—capable of sensing pressure, temperature, and contact—designed to give humanoids the touch sensitivity of real humans.
“It started with pressure sensing,” Miller says. “But the aim is full-body coverage. That opens the door to robots handling tools, collaborating with humans, even responding to physical interaction.”
Soft touch, hard problems
Another rising area is soft robotics—using flexible materials and bio-inspired designs to build robots that move more like animals or plants than machines.
“We’ve got a team at Edinburgh working on 3D-printed robots inspired by dandelion seeds—lightweight structures that can drift through the air. Could that be the way to distribute tiny crop-pollinating robots in the future?”
Edinburgh University’s 3D printed ‘soft robot’
While there are no enterprise applications yet, the Robotarium is developing soft robotics solutions for the water industry—designed to inspect hard-to-reach spaces in pipes and reservoirs.
Despite all the promise, barriers to adoption remain. Awareness, for instance, is still a huge hurdle.
“Most people still picture a clunky robot arm from 10 years ago,” says Miller. “They don’t realise how far things have come—or how affordable it’s become.”
Connectivity is another critical piece. Many robots rely on cloud computing for perception and control, making robust WiFi or 5G essential. “You can’t have a robot waiting five seconds to figure out if the object in front of it is a box or a person.”
The Robotarium’s team even runs “Robotics Readiness Reviews” for businesses to assess whether they’re infrastructure ready. “You’d be surprised how many aren’t,” Miller says. “Some haven’t introduced new technologies or operating systems for decades. Some are still using faxes.”
Then there’s the issue of interoperability. Many robotics companies still use proprietary systems, making it hard for robots from different manufacturers to collaborate.
It’s a problem that start-ups such as BOW are trying to solve with its robot-agnostic software development kit (SDK).
“There is ROS—the Robot Operating System, like Windows for robots—but not everyone uses it,” adds Miller.
“Some big players are still very protective of their ecosystems. That’s changing slowly, especially as standards bodies and open-source developers push for greater compatibility.”
Taking robots to the masses
In July, Miller and his team are hitting the road—bringing the Robotarium to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
“We’re going to show people that robotics isn’t science fiction anymore,” he says. “It’s in your hospital, your warehouse, maybe even your kitchen.”
Visitors will be able to meet Ameca, one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots, and see Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped in action. There’ll be VR experiences, a demo with Unitree’s walking humanoid robot, and a hands-on soft robotics exhibit for families.
“It’s about education, but also inspiration. Someone might visit who’s never thought about robotics as a career—or sees how it could transform their own business.”
So where will we be in two or three years?
“Significantly further ahead,” says Miller without hesitation. “We’re finally seeing robotics deliver on its decades-long promise. AI has matured. Hardware has caught up. The economic pressures are real. And robots are no longer optional. They’re inevitable.”
As such an enthusiastic advocate of automatons one wonders if they can be found in Miller’s own home, making his tea, mowing his lawn and painting his fence.
“No, I don’t have a robot at home,” he smiles. “I get enough of them at work.”
*The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place on 10-13 July 2025
