Human Stories Behind the Robots is a UK-RAS podcast exploring the people behind robotics research and innovation. Through honest and inspiring conversations, the series shares the personal journeys, challenges, and motivations shaping the robotics community.
Do you have a question? Ask it here... How do you build an independent research career when uncertainty, rejection and self-doubt are part of the job? In this episode of Human Stories Behind the Robots, Professor Shan Luo, Chair of Robotics and AI at King’s College London, shares his journey through tactile sensing, computer vision and robot perception. He explains how moving between universities, countries and disciplines helped him combine different ideas and develop a distinctive research ...
17 Sept 2026
From Bold Ideas to Real-World Impact
Do you have a question? Ask it here... What happens when a research idea seems too ambitious, too unfamiliar or simply too early for the world to understand? In this episode of The Human Stories Behind the Robots, Prof Sabine Hauert OBE shares her journey from experimenting with flying robot swarms to developing technologies that could fight wildfires, monitor environments, and transform cancer treatment. If you are just starting your research career, it can be tempting to assume that success...
20 Aug 2026
Beyond the Robots: Redefining Success
Do you have a question? Ask it here... What does it take to build a meaningful career in robotics while navigating rejection, leadership, parenthood and the pressures of academia? In this episode of The Human Stories Behind the Robots, John speaks with Dr Antonia Tzemanaki, Associate Professor in Robotics at the University of Bristol and leader of the Dexterous Manipulation and Wearable Robotics Group at Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Antonia shares how curiosity and unexpected opportunities le...
6 Aug 2026
Beyond the PhD: Leadership, Start-ups and Finding Your Own Path
Do you have a question? Ask it here... How do you turn years of research into something that genuinely changes the world? And what does nobody tell you about making the leap from academia into a startup? In this episode of The Human Stories Behind the Robots, John sits down with Dr Matthew Nancekievill, CEO and Co-founder of Ice Nine Robotics, to explore the realities of building a robotics company from academic research. Matthew shares how a PhD unexpectedly changed the direction of his care...
16 Jul 2026
The Research that became a Robotics Company
Do you have a question? Ask it here... What happens when curiosity, biology, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship collide? In the first episode of Human Stories Behind the Robots, Dr John Oyekan sits down with Prof James Marshall, Director of the Centre for Machine Intelligence at the University of Sheffield and founder of Opteran. James shares the remarkable journey from studying insect brains to building neuromorphic software that could fundamentally change autonomous robotics. The ...
23 Jun 2026
Introducing Human Stories Behind the Robots
Do you have a question? Ask it here... Introducing Human Stories Behind the Robots What would you take with you if you were starting your robotics journey all over again? In this trailer, host Dr. John Oyeko introduces Human Stories Behind the Robots, a new podcast from the UK-RAS Network that explores the people behind robotics research and innovation. Through honest and inspiring conversations with leading researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, founders, and innovators, the series uncovers ...
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