Robot dog developed to support blind and visually impaired
A robot dog designed to assist the blind and visually impaired and provide guided tours of museums has been hailed as a 'game-changer' by its developers.
Robbie the RoboGuide has been developed by researchers at the University of Glasgow who hope to provide life-changing experiences in indoor environments such as museums and supermarkets.
Using a pre-made base which costs around £8,000 and has been used by the US military, and a large language model similar to Chat GPT, Robbie has been given 'unique' powers of communication and can conduct an online search before 'speaking' through speakers.
The autonomous robot uses simultaneous localisation and mapping, and has been fitted with a camera and integrated microphones, and in a public space the user would wear an earpiece to communicate with it.
Robbie has previously been trialled in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, and was able to educate those it guided about the artefacts.
Robot guide dog vs Doggo guide dog.
Who will win in a race?
Well…#IDS2025 #GuideDog @UofGEngineering #AccessibleTechnology @WasimJawa pic.twitter.com/U5VssfzSso
— RNIB Connect Radio (@RNIBRadio) March 17, 2025
It has been tipped as an interim solution for people waiting for a guide dog, which can be a prolonged and costly process, and investors are being sought.
Hopes are high that Robbie could be used to guide users, including visually impaired people who do not qualify for a guide dog, around airports, supermarkets and galleries in three to five years.
Work began in August 2023 in collaboration with RNIB Scotland and the Forth Valley Sensory Centre.
Robbie was exhibited at RNIB Scotland's Inclusive Design for Sustainability Conference in Glasgow this week, with attendees able to try it.
PhD student Abdul Ghani Zahid said: 'Users can talk to the robot, it could see an artefact in a museum and give a description of what that artefact was. It has audio communication and can debate.
'If it's a new environment where someone needs assistance, like an airport, you can ask the robot to take you to a certain coffee shop, then take you to the terminal, then it goes back to the charging stage.'
Wasim Ahmad, a senior lecturer at the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, said feedback from people who tried using Robbie in a museum environment focused on how 'safe and confident' they felt while walking with it.
Describing Robbie as a 'game-changer', he said it is not intended as a replacement for guide dogs, but instead to provide support in other ways.
Dr Ahmad said: 'It's not for us to replace the guide dog – it's a very different relationship between the guide dog and the blind person. This is providing a complementary support for a lot of people. I think Robbie is the perfect match.
'It can provide support to them and companionship as well. It can also take them safely from point A to point B and give them freedom and independence.'
He said Robbie could even be used to provide multilingual guided tours, and support people with other physical disabilities.
Dr Ahmad added: 'We are looking at the business case and we are hoping that we will find our investors and in the next few years, when trials and development is completed, Robbie will be out at least in around three to five years' time.'
Other technology exhibited at the conference included an electronic Braille display which can 'read in real time', and a walking cane guided through haptic feedback.
Dr Sonali Rai, from the media and culture team at RNIB, said: 'It's great that the work is being done. What's important is to ensure that users are part of the conversation.'
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