London alumni lecture: The Future of Robotics

The theme of the evening was robotics and specifically the work of our newly opened North England Robotics Institute (NERIC) featuring talks from Nicola Ronan, Director of Operations, and Professor Wei Yao, a healthcare robotics expert. They were introduced by Vice Chancellor Professor Nic Beech.

NERIC is a cutting-edge £17 million all-electric facility, which is a beacon for our robotics and automation specialisms.  This lecture showcased NERIC’s work in integrating robotics in two key markets: manufacturing and healthcare. 

In manufacturing, robots are good at doing the kind of jobs that people aren’t keen on or pose problems for business, the five Ds, Dull, Dangerous, Dirty, Difficult and Dear (£).

NERIC collaborates with businesses to design, validate and test innovative and bespoke robotic solutions that increase productivity in a rapidly growing area, and why they are helping us grow. 

In the health sphere, as the NHS moves to deliver more healthcare out of hospitals and closer to home, through the model of integrated health, AI and robotics are aiding the healthcare sector by providing assisting robots, precise diagnosis and remote treatment.

Professor Yao talked about how his research is paving the way for robots to deliver life-altering surgery, relieving pressure on surgeons and shortening patient waiting lists by making surgery less invasive, reducing recovery times and improving outcomes for patients.

The purpose of the London Alumni Lecture is to foster lifelong connections with and between alumni, build Salford's reputation, reach and instil pride in Salford alumni, build industry links and partnerships, and to showcase our research to our external stakeholders further afield with the potential to generate opportunities to collaborate.

In fact at the latest lecture two alumni met up at the event who had not seen each other since they studied at Salford decades ago.

Watch the full lecture below or on our YouTube channel.