NextGen Ri

21/05/2026

Robot dogs, solar farms and a new collaboration 🤖☀️

This week, we started our R&D project with Nottingham Trent University.

Over the next five months, we’ll be working with the NTU ADMC team to explore how quadruped robotic systems could support solar farm inspections.

It’s our first academic collaboration, and a great opportunity to explore a new real-world application for our robot dogs.

A big thank you to the East Midlands Combined County Authority for supporting this work through the East Midlands Investment Zone programme.

19/05/2026

We’re excited to be exhibiting at The National Education Show in 2026!

Come and say hello to our robots! We’ll be bringing along a selection of humanoids, quadrupeds, rovers and robotic arms.

It’s a great chance to explore how technology can bring learning to life, spark interest in STEM subjects, and support engagement, curiosity and creativity in education.

📅 12 June 2026
📍 Venue Cymru, Llandudno

📅 02 October 2026
📍 Utilita Arena, Cardiff

Pop by, have a chat and see what robotics can bring to the classroom.

13/05/2026

Can robots help emergency services?

Yes.

Better answer: they can go where humans shouldn’t have to.

We were proud to attend UKERRO recently, and we brought company!

Pictured with our team is one of the humanoid robots from the NextGen Ri technology portfolio. Across the event, we also showcased solutions including quadruped robots and our tethered drone solution, Fotokite.

Together, these technologies show how robotics can support frontline teams in hazardous environments, deliver real-time situational awareness, and put greater intelligence in the hands of the people who need it most.

From fire and rescue to policing, the goal is simple: help responders see more, assess risk faster, and stay further from harm.

First responders are extraordinary. Our mission is to make sure the technology around them is too.

Photo credit: UKERRO

28/04/2026

Well, this is new.

Unitree has just unveiled a new humanoid robot with wheels.

The G1 W brings a fresh take on humanoid robotics, combining human inspired design with wheeled movement for a whole new style of mobility.

Release dates TBC. Get in touch to be the first to know about the official launch.

21/04/2026

We’ve been featured on BBC Nottinghamshire - and it gave us the chance to talk properly about Destiny, the humanoid robot we’re developing at NextGen Ri.

It is also part of a much bigger conversation about what robotics means in a working world.

A lot of the discussion around robots still swings between two extremes.

Either they are treated like a novelty, or people jump straight to the idea that they are here to replace everyone.

The reality is much more practical than that.

Robotics is most useful when it is taking on work that is repetitive, physically demanding, or carries unnecessary risk. That is where robotics can improve safety, increase productivity, and make better use of human skill.

Most workplaces are already designed around people. Doorways. Stairs. Tools. Workstations. Layouts.

That means a humanoid robot has the potential to work in environments that already exist, without needing those spaces to be completely redesigned around a machine.

That does not mean humanoids are the answer to everything. They are not.

But they do have real potential in the right settings, especially where consistency, endurance, and safety matter, and where taking people out of harm’s way is a clear benefit.

That is the part we think matters most and what we are focused on at NextGen Ri.

Read more:

Futuristic commercial robots are being developed in a village where many once worked as coal miners.

09/04/2026

From first sight to first action, robotics is reshaping emergency response.

It supports forward reconnaissance. Hazardous area assessment. Fire suppression. Search in smoke filled spaces. Live situational awareness.

That means better decisions. Earlier intervention. Less exposure to risk.

See us at

Get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ukerro-2026-tickets-1962703972416

08/04/2026

Something new has arrived at NextGen Ri 👀

We have partnered with ChingMu to expand our offering with advanced motion capture technology, helping deliver accurate, realistic and flexible movement capture.

This creates new possibilities for projects that need high-quality movement data, greater creative control and realistic digital performance.

Learn more:
https://nextgenri.co.uk/nextgen-ri-adds-chingmu-motion-capture-to-uk-and-ireland-portfolio/

See the range: https://nextgenri.co.uk/motion-capture/

24/03/2026

We are looking forward to returning to the UK Emergency Robotics Responders Organisation (UKERRO) Emergency Robotics Summit for a second year.

Last year’s event was excellent, and it was great to spend time with so many people involved in emergency response every day.

At this year’s event, we will be exhibiting our humanoid and quadruped robots.

For emergency responders, this kind of technology matters when it helps people do their job more safely and with better information.

It can help teams get eyes on a situation sooner, understand more before committing people into difficult environments, and support better decisions when time really matters.

If you are planning to attend, please do come and see us. We would love to show you how the robots work in practice.

📅 29 - 30 April
📍 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Training and Safety Centre
Hinds Lane, Bury, BL8 2GN

BOOK your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ukerro-2026-tickets-1962703972416?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-source=up&utm-term=user-profile&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

19/03/2026

What might tomorrow’s police teams be working alongside?

NextGen Ri recently visited Lincolnshire Police Headquarters to speak with Police Cadets about how robotics and related technologies are beginning to be explored across policing, emergency services and other industries.

He also shared more about our work with Nottinghamshire Police, including a recent trial involving quadruped robots.

Those attending then had the chance to get hands on with the technology, giving them direct experience of tools they may one day see in operational use and a better understanding of how they could support policing in the years ahead.

Thank you to Lincolnshire Police for the welcome and for the opportunity to spend time with your cadets.

13/03/2026

A bold new arrival is on its way

The Unitree H2 is a newly developed full size humanoid robot, designed to take on more complex tasks and operate in more demanding environments

Launching Spring 2026

10/03/2026

Loved welcoming the King’s College London Robotics Society to NextGen Ri HQ last week. Our kind of crowd.

The group got hands on with our Unitree robots, including humanoids and quadrupeds, as well as the Elephant Robotics rover and arm. We explored what the systems can do, how they are operated, and some of the software platforms behind them.

A big theme on the day was the gap between academic research and real world deployment. There is no shortage of talent or enthusiasm, but there is still work to do in connecting the skills industry needs with the skills many graduates leave university with.

Modern robotics is not just about building clever machines. It is about bringing together mechanical engineering, AI, software, and systems integration to create something useful and ready for the real world.

That is why collaboration between academia and industry matters so much.

We shared some of the practical applications we are developing in inspection, infrastructure monitoring, and industrial automation, along with honest conversations about robotics careers, startups, commercial reality, and what it takes to turn an idea into a viable business. These conversations matter just as much as the tech itself.

Photo credit: Yingtao Zheng