Dyson has shared its ambitions for the future of advanced household robots at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Philadelphia this week.
At the conference, Dyson signaled its accelerating development of an autonomous device capable of household chores and other tasks. A film revealed the latest developments of Dyson-designed robotic hands grasping objects, indicating that the company is moving beyond robotic floor-based vacuums.
The secret research and development work at Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire is being led by Dyson chief engineer, Jake Dyson.
Dyson is half-way through the largest engineering recruitment drive in its history with 2,000 people having joined the company this year, of which 50% are engineers, scientists, and coders. Dyson is supercharging its robotics ambitions, recruiting 250 robotics engineers across disciplines including computer vision, machine learning, sensors and mechatronics, and expects to hire 700 more in the robotics field over the next five years.
The plan is to create the UK’s largest, most advanced, robotics centre at Hullavington Airfield and bring the technology into homes by the end of the decade.
“Dyson employed its first roboticist 20 years ago and this year alone we are seeking 250 more experts for our team. This is a big bet on future robotic technology that will drive research across the whole of Dyson in areas including mechanical engineering, vision systems, machine learning and energy storage. We need the best people in the world to come and join us,” Jake Dyson said.