Informatics expert joins Robot Wars judges

A scientist at the University is making his debut as a judge in the new TV series of Robot Wars.

Professor Sethu Vijayakumar, a world-renowned expert in robotics, will appear alongside veteran judge Professor Noel Sharkey and fellow judging newcomer Dr Lucy Rogers.

Battling machines

The series, which pitches robots made by amateurs against one another in physical battle, comprises six episodes - five qualifying heats and a final.

It will be presented by Dara Ó Briain and Angela Scanlon, with Jonathan Pearce returning as commentator.

The judging panel will judge the heats and choose a sixth finalist as a wildcard, from an initial 40 entrants.

The series, beginning at 8pm on Sunday 24 July on BBC Two, is shot before a live audience at a location near Glasgow.

World expert

Professor Vijayakumar is the Professor of Robotics in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, UK and Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics.

Pioneering projects on which the Professor has worked include the HONDA ASIMO humanoid robots and the iLIMB prosthetic hand.

His latest project involves a collaboration with NASA Johnson Space Centre on the Valkyrie humanoid robot being prepared for unmanned robotic pre-deployment missions to Mars.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a keen science communicator and winner of the 2015 Tam Dalyell Award for excellence in engaging the public with science.

I’m excited to join the judging panel for Robot Wars. This popular show goes a long way towards getting people interested in robots, thinking about their potential and their limitations, in a fun setting.