On the 7th and 8th of January 2025, the heart of London played host to a landmark gathering in the field of robotics: the 6th UK Robot Manipulation Workshop. Held at King’s College London’s Bush House, this fully in-person event brought together over 350 researchers, students, and industry professionals—setting a new attendance record for the series and underscoring the ever-growing momentum in robot manipulation research.
Since its inception in 2016 at the University of Birmingham, the workshop has become a vital fixture in the UK robotics calendar, previously hosted at institutions including Imperial College London, the University of Leeds, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and the University of Oxford. This year’s edition stood out not only for its record-breaking attendance but also for its rich, internationally diverse audience and its largest-ever cohort of sponsors and supporters.
A Global Stage for a National Community
With attendees from the UK, US, China, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands, the workshop reaffirmed its growing global reach while continuing to champion the UK research ecosystem. This year’s sponsor list was from strategic funding bodies such as ARIA and EPSRC, to professional networks like the IET Robotics and Mechatronics Technical Network and UK-RAS, to leading tech players including Ocado, Cambrian, Unitree, Dobot, Shadow Robot, Haption, GKN, Humanoid, Extend Robotics, Amazon Robotics and Franka Robotics.
Cutting-Edge Research and Real-World Impact
The workshop featured four thematic sessions and 21 invited speakers from academia, industry, and the public sector. A major highlight was the keynote by Prof. Robert D. Howe (Harvard University), who presented a compelling vision of “Reliable Manipulation” in unstructured environments, underlining the need for robust error detection systems to achieve real-world reliability in robotic grasping.
Sessions covered a wide spectrum: from gripper and manipulator design, robot learning and control, to biomedical applications, simulation, and industrial deployment. Talks ranged from biomimetic systems inspired by ants and human touch, to compliant manipulation, high-precision flexure mechanisms, and new approaches to physics-based planning, learning from few-shot demonstrations, and sim-to-real strategies using MuJoCo.
Beyond Talks: Tutorials, Posters, and Panels
Over 60 posters were presented, offering a window into the latest student and early-career research—ranging from tactile sensing and teleoperation to dexterous manipulation in clutter and garment decluttering.
This year’s expanded programme also included:
-
A tutorial on robotics standards by Takiyah Williams (BSI), demystifying UK standards development.
-
A commercialisation session by Dominic Keen (Britbots), sharing stories of university spinouts turned industrial success.
-
A diversity panel chaired by Edith-Clare Hall, exploring how Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) can drive innovation across sectors.
Celebrating Community and Collaboration
The two-day workshop was more than just a technical conference—it was a celebration of community. Attendees engaged in vibrant discussions during coffee breaks, explored research labs through guided tours, and enjoyed social activities, including a London walking tour and ice skating at Somerset House.
King’s College London, this year’s host, showcased its ongoing contributions to the field with live demonstrations and lab tours at the Centre for Robotics Research that left a lasting impression on many participants.
Looking Ahead
The UK Robot Manipulation Workshop continues to grow as a national platform for knowledge exchange and community building. As robotic systems become increasingly integrated into real-world environments, the UK’s leadership in this area—spanning tactile sensing, dexterous hands, soft robotics, and AI-driven manipulation—is more critical than ever.
We thank all our speakers, sponsors, and attendees for making this year’s workshop such a success—and we look forward to what 2026 will bring.