Robots vs real life

Robots were tested on their ability to take over traditionally human tasks in a tech competition that saw them take on a series of real-life challenges.

Eight machines were entered in the contest that examined the time they took, their accuracy, how they interacted with humans, whether they were able to complete the task and if they caused any damage.

The Smart City Robotics Competition took over a shopping centre in Milton Keynes for three days as the robots went through five scenarios:

• Delivering coffee shop orders
• Navigating doorways and door handles
• Helping a person in their home
• Picking and packing shopping
• Making a medical delivery by drone.

The coffee shop challenge was won by the Mosaic team from the University of Cambridge while Cranfield University took the prize for the door and shopping tasks. But none of the robots were able to successfully complete the remaining two challenges.

Cyber security student Anna Holloway, who was part of the Milton Keynes College team, told the BBC:  “Robots are already helping us in certain places – we’ve got robot vacuums. This is what is happening today but 10 years down the line it could be completely different. We don’t know, and that’s what’s so fun about it.”

Find out more about the event at the website of organisers Smart City Consultancy.