BRL, the largest robotics laboratory of its type in the UK, was officially opened on 10 May 2012 by the Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science. The Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) carries out cutting edge research programmes focused on the development of autonomous robot systems. The BRL’s vision is to transform robotics by pioneering advances in autonomous robot systems through the elucidation of the underpinning mechanisms required to create robot systems which behave intelligently without human supervision.

Researchers at the BRL are involved in projects funded by a range of national and international sources studying Human-Robot interaction, collective robotics, aerial robotics, neuro-inspired control, haptics, control systems, energy harvesting and self-sustaining systems, rehabilitation robotics, soft robotics and biomedical systems. The BRL also has strong links with the emerging advanced robotics manufacturing community, and also has regular contact with larger international organisations that have a robotics interest.