The AutoInspect project – a joint project with the Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI) and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Remote Applications in Challenging Environments division – has been recognised in the University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Awards 2026, winning the Collaboration for Innovation Award. The project developed a fully autonomous robotic system to safely conduct inspection patrols at industrial facilities, including maintenance inspections at a fusion energy facility in a world first.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards recognise outstanding achievements across the University, with this year's awards attracting 170 entries and more than 1,000 individuals included in nominations. Winners, highly commended entries and finalists were celebrated at a showcase event held at the Schwarzman Centre on 2 June, followed by an awards ceremony hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey on 4 June. Under the Impact through Innovation theme, the award celebrates projects which harness innovation, technology and collaboration to deliver measurable impact.
AutoInspect is an autonomous system for mobile and legged robots developed for industrial inspection. The project integrates research from the Dynamic Robot Systems (DRS) Group, led by Professor Maurice Fallon, and the Goal-Oriented Long-Lived Systems (GOALS) Lab, led by Professor Nick Hawes.
