Robotics Expertise and Facilities Hire

 

Outdoor robotics testing and validation 

Aberystwyth University's robotics testing capabilities provide organisations with access to large-scale outdoor testing environments, specialist facilities and academic expertise to support the development and validation of robotics, autonomous systems and AI-enabled technologies.  

  • Over 500 hectares with a broad range of conditions and elevations 
  • Over 10km of offroad tracks 
  • Steep slopes and elevation (up to 600m) 
  • Grass pasture, hills, peatbog, rocks, narrow tracks and challenging micro-environments. Access to rivers and coastline can also be arranged

Our facilities enable organisations to test prototypes and systems across diverse terrain, assessing performance, reliability and suitability for deployment. This provides realistic conditions that cannot be replicated in laboratory settings.  

Our academic and technical experts can support the entire testing lifecycle, from experiment design and methodology development through to data collection, analysis and evaluation. This helps organisations generate robust, defensible evidence to support technical decision-making, funding applications, investment and commercialisation.  

For projects requiring additional specialist input, we can draw on expertise from across Aberystwyth University in areas including RF communications, drones, sensor technologies, remote sensing, environmental monitoring and artificial intelligence, enabling organisations to test complete systems and operational concepts in realistic environments.  

Who is it for?

This service is designed for organisations developing robotics, autonomous systems and AI-enabled technologies that need to be tested and validated under real-world conditions.  

Typical clients include: 

  • Agri-tech companies developing field robotics, sensing systems and data-driven farming solutions 
  • Defence organisations working on autonomous or remotely operated systems 
  • Robotics developers and engineering companies 
  • AI and autonomous systems developers 
  • R&D teams developing technologies for operation in complex outdoor environments 

The service is particularly valuable for organisations working at mid-stage development (TRL 4–7) that require credible performance evidence before deployment, commercialisation or procurement.   

Clients can access: 

  • Large-scale outdoor robotics testing environments 
  • Diverse terrain and real-world operating conditions 
  • Indoor robotics laboratories and workshop facilities 
  • Technical and operational support 
  • Academic expertise in robotics, AI and sensing technologies 
  • Experiment design, data collection and analysis support 
  • Project coordination and logistical support 

From facility hire for independent trials through to fully managed testing and validation programmes, our service can be tailored to meet the needs of your project.

Benefits and value

Access world-class robotics expertise and infrastructure in one place 

Combine access to unique outdoor testing environments with specialist robotics facilities, academic expertise and end-to-end data analysis capabilities. We help organisations run more effective trials, generate credible evidence and accelerate innovation while reducing the complexity of managing multiple partners. For organisations with broader requirements, we can draw on expertise across Aberystwyth University in areas spanning AI, sensing technologies, drones, RF communications and remote sensing. 

Move from controlled testing to real-world validation 

Successful deployment depends on understanding how technologies perform outside controlled laboratory environments. Real-world conditions introduce terrain, weather, environmental variability and operational challenges that simulations alone cannot replicate.  

 

Our robotics testing facilities help organisations: 

  • Identify issues before deployment - Identify performance issues and limitations before deployment, reducing costly late-stage failures.  
  • Demonstrate capability with real-world data - Produce robust, real-world performance data to support investment, funding applications, procurement opportunities and commercialisation activities.  
  • Speed up development cycles - Test, refine and iterate systems more quickly by accessing suitable environments, facilities and expertise in one place.  
  • Improve the quality of results - Strengthen the rigour of testing activities through expert support in experiment design, execution and interpretation.  
  • Make informed development decisions - Gain deeper insight into system performance and reliability, enabling more informed decisions about future development, deployment and investment.  

The result is better validation, reduced risk and greater confidence in taking technologies from prototype to real-world operation.

Choose your level of support

From simple facility hire to fully managed testing and validation programmes, our service can be tailored to your requirements.   

Bronze 
Access to facilities and testing environments for independent trials.  

Silver 
Facilities access plus technical support to help you run effective experiments and trials.  

Gold 
Facilities access plus academic expertise, experiment design, data capture, analysis and evaluation to help you generate robust evidence and accelerate development.

Related expertise available

Alongside robotics testing facilities, clients may also be able to access expertise in: 

  • Artificial Intelligence and machine learning 
  • Autonomous systems 
  • Drone technologies 
  • RF communications and wireless systems 
  • Sensor development and integration 
  • Remote sensing and environmental monitoring 
  • Data capture, processing and analytics 

This expertise can be incorporated into bespoke testing and validation programmes where appropriate.

How to contact us:

Whether you need access to a real-world robotics testing environment, support designing a validation programme, or expertise in analysing test results, our team can help. Contact us to discuss your requirements and identify the right package for your project.  

Get in touch to arrange an initial discussion.  

Email: antur@aber.ac.uk

Our Experts

Dr Fred Labrosse

Specialist in autonomous robotics:

 

  • Specialist in autonomous mobile robotics for outdoor environments
  • Focused on enabling robots to navigate complex, natural terrain and tracks
  • Expertise in vision-led navigation, integrated with GNSS, IMUs and LiDAR
  • Researching route description methods (beyond fixed coordinates) for robust real-world deployment
  • Lead of ANTUR – Aberystwyth Natural Terrain for Unconstrained Robotics

Dr David Jones

Specialist in digital twin & engineering informatics:

 

  • Background in engineering informatics and systems integration
  • Industry collaboration with Airbus and Ford to improve engineering information use
  • Specialist in digital twin technologies
  • Focused on integrating virtual and physical assets to optimise whole-system performance
  • Bridging theory and application to improve real-world operational systems 

Jason Brook

Specialist in autonomous environmental monitoring & precision agri-tech: 

 

  • Focusing on UAV-based monitoring programs across agricultural and coastal landscapes
  • Delivering high-resolution LiDAR and multi spectral analytics for biomass, habitat and land-use assessment 
  • Designing and deploying LoRaWAN sensor networks for real-time environmental intelligence 
  • Advancing precision drone-based fertiliser and seeding systems for low-input farming
  • Building industry-academic partnerships to accelerate scalable, data-driven land management solutions