Written by Mostafa Mohamed

On June 30th and July 1st, I attended the ARIA Robot Locomotion Workshop in York. The event was sponsored by the Advanced Research & Invention Agency and gathered researchers and robotics startups to announce a potential new funding programme in Robot Locomotion (under ARIA’s Smarter Robot Bodies framework, led by Programme Director Jenny Read).

The core of the workshop was about finding better ways to help robots tackle uncertainties presented by the locomotion in real-world environments.

What I took to the workshop was our team’s expertise in developing AI-enabled soft robotic modules that can transfer locomotion complexity from sophisticated algorithms into the physical flexibility and design of the robot’s limbs. I also presented our experience and capabilities in the design and fabrication of soft-rigid, anatomically inspired structures that enable safe and energy-efficient locomotion.

The workshop was highly interactive and most importantly the “Roast My Thesis” session was a constructive feedback session where we provided Jenny with direct feedback on her draft programme thesis for the upcoming locomotion call.  On the second day, I participated in a Hackathon and worked with a mixed team of academics and industry professionals to brainstorm and pitch a locomotion solution to solve problems that have high economic impact in the energy sector.

The event was a great space to meet people from different academic and industrial backgrounds and it led to some interesting conversations.  A useful takeaway was learning that ARIA plans to officially launch the funding call for the Robot Locomotion programme in August 2026.

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to step out, share what we are working on at Nottingham, and see how Somabotics can play a part in the wider robotics landscape.