The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) today unveiled the 10 teams selected for the programme.
Their mission: usher in a new era of dexterity that will transform robotics and human productivity.
Members of the group span startups, university labs, public research organisations, and large companies.
Collectively, they will receive 52mn to advance the physical dexterity of robots.
The funds aim to bridge the software-hardware gap in robotics, which has widened during the AI boom.
Robot bodies now lag behind advances in computation.
Their failure to match the flexibility, speed, and precision of humans has severely restricted their use.
Algorithms, meanwhile, are rapidly reaching new levels of intelligence.
ARIA wants the hardware to catch up.
The agency argues that theres a pressing need for progress.
The proportion of the global population aged over 65 is set to triple by 2100.
At the same time, labour shortages for physically demanding jobs are increasing.
Robots could provide essential support.
The robotics teams
Members of the programme have proposed diverse solutions to the challenge.
Arthur Robotics, a startup based in London, wants to commercialise an mechnical hand inspired by biology.
Focused on manufacturing, the motorised limb blends soft, deformable contact surfaces with rich tactile sensing andreinforcement learning.
Startups from outside the UK are also contributing.
Nicholas Kellaris, the co-founder and Chief Research Officer of Artimus, praised the projects emphasis on cooperation.
Were thrilled to have the opportunity to [join] this multi-level and cross-disciplinary approach.
The ARIA model
Established in 2023, ARIA funds high-risk, high-reward research.
The strategy has drawn comparisons to DARPA, a US Department of Defence agency that develops emerging technologies.
At ARIA, a diverse array of projects is already underway.
One unveiled last year plans to providequantitative safety guarantees for AI withdigital gatekeepers.
Another aims to createearly warning systemsfor climate tipping points.
A third looks to nature to train AI at0.1%of the cost.
With the arrival of the robotics dexterity teams, ARIA is now adding futuristic hardware to its labs.
you’ve got the option to find the full list of the concepts in the programmehere.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
