Robotics, drones and driverless cars to be trialled in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub is piloting the deployment of new technologies to support transport, logistics and delivery services, with the aim of them eventually being delivered nationwide.

It is one of eight robotics adoption hubs that will receive a share of £40m government funding to support real-world demonstrations of robotics and autonomous technology.

Law firm, Browne Jacobson, will provide legal advice to the hub, helping it to navigate any obstacles.

The law firm previously advised Milton Keynes City Council, which is part of the group of organisations delivering the Hub, during its RoboPASS trailblazer project.

This helped to create a licensing system designed to safely integrate multi-purpose robots into everyday public life.

The Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub will operate from The Smart City Experience Centre in centre:mk, focusing on the roll-out of robotics in open and closed public spaces.

It acts as a valuable resource for businesses and public sector organisations looking to understand and adopt robotics and automation technologies such as autonomous vehicles, drones, industrial robots and other automated systems.

Chris Holder, technology specialist at Browne Jacobson, said: “Robotics and autonomous technologies offer huge potential for transforming public services – ranging from maintaining paths and gritting roads to delivering shopping and identifying damage to highways infrastructure – but this requires careful evolution of various laws and regulations.”

End users will be offered support and the chance to see robotics technologies in action. They will also be connected with industry specialists, to help them find opportunities to improve productivity, address skills challenges and drive growth through automation.

By making robotics more accessible and easier to understand, the Hub will support organisations of all sizes to explore, test and adopt new technologies with confidence.

Key delivery partners within Smart City MK CIC include Milton Keynes City Council, Cranfield University, The Open University, Beverly Clarke Consulting, Ohmio UK and Smart City Consultancy.

Ian Pulford, CEO of Smart City MK CIC, said: “This is such a great endorsement of many years of hard work with civic, business and education partners in and around Milton Keynes to ensure the city develops at the forefront of robotics innovation.”