Hazards Forum’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Elinor Davies recently interviewed Chair of our next event, Marc McBride ahead of the event.
We’re thrilled to have you chair our Robots we can trust: Unlocking the UK’s potential in smart machines event this month, what are you looking forward to most, on the evening?
Well first of all let me say that we’re absolutely delighted in the Hazards Forum to be partnering again with the National Committee on RAS Regulation, Standards and Ethics to run this event. So, I’m really looking forward to hearing about the latest developments in their work to promote the safe and trustworthy deployment of robotics and autonomous systems in the UK.
We know ONR are a member of Hazards Forum and we’d like to know more about your professional life. Please can you give a little background into your current role?
So, I am a member of the Hazards Forum’s Technical Advisory Committee, and I also chair Interest Group 3 in the Hazards Forum which focusses on emerging and future technologies. That group comprises 19 professionals working across both public and private sector organisations, all with an interest in technologies such as robotics, AI, extended reality and digitisation. In my day job I am a Principal Inspector in the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Through your career, in what capacity has robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) impacted your work?
I first came across robotics when working as a safety engineer in the oil and gas industry. We used these technologies to inspect pipelines and offshore structures to establish the condition of these assets as a basis for predicting future operating life. Latterly I have seen a rapid expansion in use of these technologies in the nuclear sector in the UK, e.g. to survey hazardous environments and support waste retrieval and decommissioning activities.
With the rapid advancement of robotics and autonomous systems redefining the global technological landscape, how do you suggest we govern this?
I think we are lucky in the UK in that we have a goal-setting regulatory regime which is technology agnostic. So, there is flexibility for operators to select the technologies that are most appropriate to their circumstances providing they can demonstrate the overall goal of reducing risks as low as reasonably practicable. This approach however requires pro-active engagement between all stakeholders to promote understanding of the sorts of technologies that might be used and how the regulatory framework might apply to them.
How do you think the UK can capitalise on its world-leading research base to drive the effective and ethical integration of RAS across society?
That’s a great question and one that will be at the heart of our discussions on 16 September. As you say the UK has a strong research base on robotics, but this doesn’t translate yet to widespread societal uptake. The government’s recently launched Smart Machines Strategy for 2035 highlights several challenges including perceived risks, regulatory hurdles, conservative business practices and struggles in obtaining scale-up funding. I will be interested to see what our experts think the key challenges are and how they can be overcome.
At the end of our event we’ll be holding a panel discussion with all of the speakers, what will be your burning question for the panel?
At our Hazards Forum event we will hear from experts at the Rail Safety and Standards Board, Cranfield University, Queen Mary University London and the Birmingham Robotics Institute. I will be really interested to hear about the latest research in this field and how we can collaborate across sectors and disciplines to build trust in the use of RAS to tackle some of the most pressing problems facing society, for example climate change, sustainable manufacturing and infrastructure resilience.
What do you think the takeaway will be for those attending this event?
Our last event on robotics and autonomous systems in 2024 attracted a lot of interest. A key takeaway from the event was that good communications and transparency between those who create and use RAS, as well as regulators and the workforce, are key to the successful deployment of these technologies. This time I expect key messages to centre around the need for further collaboration across government, business, academia and other stakeholders to capitalise on our strong research base in the UK and accelerate the responsible deployment of RAS.
