On 5 March, Sheffield Robotics (a collaboration between Sheffield Hallam and Sheffield University) held a one-day symposium on Field Robotics.

Field robotics is the use of robots in outdoor, unstructured environments including the deep sea, outer space or areas of nuclear contamination. Applications for field robots span a wide range of commercial and civil applications and industries that could particularly benefit from advances in field robotics include agriculture, construction, energy, environment, mining, nuclear, offshore, search and rescue, and space.

This event was supported by the EPSRC RAS-Network, and was the first UK symposium on Field Robotics, aiming to establish a Field Robotics community to address challenges laid out in the RAS-SIG strategy.

The event brought together Field Robotics centre's and facilities throughout the UK, and laid foundations towards creation of a national network of Field Robotics facilities to collectively rival those in the US and Europe. The meeting provided ambassadors from industry the opportunity to raise key challenges with UK academics, and created a forum for discussion and collaboration. The symposium took place at the Knowledge Transfer Centre in the Advanced Manufacturing Park, in Sheffield.