Episode 164: Accelerating robot learning - Michelle Lu

Claire chatted to Dexter Shepherd from the University of Sussex about using touch sensing to help robots understand and adapt to their environment. Dexter Shepherd is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Sussex, exploring machine learning for bio-inspired tactile sensing and robotic locomotion. His work combines embedded AI systems, spatial-temporal models, and reinforcement learning to enable robots to classify textures, orient themselves, and adapt their movements. Beyond his research, Dexter leads and coordinates AI training initiatives in Africa with making electronics and applying AI on embedded devices. Help shape the future of robotics. Join the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society - with over 26,000 members worldwide and around 78 conferences and workshops. Learn more at ieee-ras.org. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher  

Claire chatted to Zlatka Stoeva from DZP Technologies about flexible, stretchable and soft printed electronics for dexterous robots. Zlatka Stoeva is a founder and managing director of DZP Technologies, a Cambridge-based company specialising in advanced materials and novel forms of electronics. Zlatka's background is in materials chemistry, and she developed the innovative electronic materials which set the foundation for the company current portfolio of flexible, stretchable and soft electronics. DZP Technologies ventured into robotics during an ARIA-funded project, focused on printed electronics components for the dexterous robot. 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. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/ 

Claire chatted to Jan Petrš from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Déploya Robotics about novel robot designs for construction and architecture. Jan Petrš is a roboticist, architect, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of robotics and construction. He is currently the co-founder of Déploya Robotics, an EPFL spin-off developing deployable robotic systems for automated façade installation. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at EPFL's Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, where he focused on tensegrity robotics. His PhD research at the Czech Technical University focused on developing a robotic system combining reconfigurable and soft robotics for architectural and construction applications. 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/ 

Claire chatted to Rika Antonova from the University of Cambridge about using artificial intelligence to develop complimentary robot hardware and algorithms. Rika Antonova is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests include co-design, automated algorithm discovery, data-efficient reinforcement learning, exploration, active learning, and​ robotics. After completing a research Master's degree at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Rika undertook a Computing Innovation Fellowship at Stanford University. Before that, she was a senior software engineer at Google. 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. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/ 

Claire chatted to Kushant Patel from Brookhaven National Laboratory about robots that work in scientific facilities, such as particle accelerators. Kushant Patel builds software that helps robots and instruments perceive, map, and move through the physical world. After completing a Master's in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, he spent two years at the University of California, Berkeley teaching quadruped robots to map and inspect nuclear material, and a year at the University of California, Davis building closed-loop brain-computer interfaces. At Brookhaven National Laboratory, he is developing control systems for advanced synchrotron beamlines. 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/ 

Last month, Claire hosted a panel discussion at AUV 2026 exploring how progress in marine autonomy resonates with different audiences, from engineers who are developing the technology, to the end users in science, industry and defence, and the young people who will become the next generation of engineers. She was joined by five panellists: Gwyn Griffiths, Daniel Hook, Emma Curtis, Sara Aldhaheri, and Edith-Clare Hall. This bonus episode is brought to you by the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society and the AUV Southampton organising committee, in partnership with Cellula Robotics and Sonardyne International. Get access to the full catalogue of bonus episodes by becoming a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher 

During my recent visit to The National Robotarium in Edinburgh, I was lucky enough to get the chance to speak to some of the Robotarium's resident companies. In this interview, I talked to Niall McGrath, CEO of Robocean, a company building and deploying robots to restore seagrass meadows – one of the most important marine ecosystems on Earth. This episode was made possible by UK RAS STEPS, a programme supporting Research Technical Professionals in robotics and autonomous systems in the UK.

Claire chatted to Michelle Lu from Vsim Technology about using simulation and artificial intelligence to teach robots new skills. Michelle Lu is co-founder and CEO of Vsim Technology. She was previously a Director of Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, where she and her co-founder created the world's first end-to-end GPU-accelerated reinforcement learning (RL) framework, Isaac Gym, which set the template for how modern GPU-accelerated simulation-based RL is performed in robotics. In 2022, Michelle and her co-founder left NVIDIA to create Vsim, driven to solve the limitations that plague simulation-based robotics AI: efficiency, scalability and the sim-to-real gap. 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. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/   

Claire chatted to Aaron Edsinger from Hello Robot about their Stretch robots that can help people with mobility issues live more independently. Aaron Edsinger is CEO and Co-Founder of Hello Robot, a robotics company dedicated to developing practical, safe, and accessible robots for people. With a passion for building robots and robot companies, Aaron has founded four companies focused on bringing human collaborative robots to the consumer, manufacturing, healthcare and research markets. As Robotics Director at Google, he led the business, product and technical development of two of Google's central investments in robotics, and helped to define the overall robotics strategy. 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. Join the Robot Talk community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/ 

During my recent visit to The National Robotarium in Edinburgh, I was lucky enough to get the chance to speak to some of the Robotarium's resident companies. In this interview, I spoke to Lorenzo Conti, Founder and CEO of Crover, a company developing robots for autonomous grain storage management.  This episode was made possible by UK RAS STEPS, a programme supporting Research Technical Professionals in robotics and autonomous systems in the UK.