Closing the Autonomy Gap: Skill Acquisition in Robotic Chemists

11^th October 2024, 12:00 Ashton Lecture Theatre
Dr. Gabriella Pizzuto

Abstract

The urgent need for new materials to solve global challenges e.g., climate change demands a paradigm shift in autonomous scientific discovery. While intelligent robotic systems offer the potential to revolutionise research by accelerating experimentation, a key hurdle remains: enabling robots to conduct complex, long-term experiments in human-centric, real-world laboratory settings. This talk explores the untapped potential of "robot scientists" and outlines our efforts to bridge this gap. I will detail our ongoing work developing and deploying intelligent robotic systems in Chemistry labs, showcasing their capabilities and the transformative impact they can have on materials discovery. Finally, I will share insights into the challenges and lessons learned from this multidisciplinary endeavour.