Launching first-of-a-kind project on Robotics for Global Development! How can robotics be used to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in low and middle-income countries? What role might robotics play in tackling significant development challenges in sectors such as agriculture, climate, health, and industrial development? These questions are central to the first-ever Robotics for Development Project launched by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and Frontier Tech Hub.
While other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence receive considerable attention, the application of robotics in international development is systematically overlooked. This is especially true when looking beyond drones (aerial robotics). Think ground and ocean robotics, robotic arms, and even humanoid robotics.
We need a deeper understanding of this technology’s potential and drawbacks in the context of global development. What will this technology look like by 2030, and what will this mean for development applications? If we identify meaningful opportunities for robotics, what factors will be essential to enable the responsible, inclusive, and sustainable use of robotics to tackle global development challenges?
I’m excited to co-lead the project and am keen to connect with a wide range of experts, so please consider this an open invitation to connect on LinkedIn. We’re already preparing to launch a Strategic Foresight exercise with select experts, which will inform the development of our open knowledge products and the FCDO’s strategy on Robotics for Development.
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This first-of-a-kind project on Robotics for Global Development is only possible thanks to the thought leadership of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and the Frontier Tech Hub. Specifically, Antony Herrmann and Phil Outram from FCDO have defined and set the stage for the project. They’re actively building the FCDO’s understanding of robotics, and their expertise is essential to the project. Indeed, they’re directly engaged and connecting us to key experts such as Benjamin Rosman.
On the Frontier Tech side, we get to co-lead the project with Asad Rahman, Sam Stockley-Patel, PhD, Gita Luz, and Alex Scoines, who are excellent collaborators and provide precisely the kind of leadership, expertise, insights, support, and collaborative work environment that will maximize the success of this project. And there’s more: I’ll introduce other key team members in the coming weeks.
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