Glasgow is ranked as a top 10 UK digital tech city. Building on this strength, the University of Glasgow has leveraged its digital expertise to pioneer RoboGuide, an AI-powered robot guide dog, designed to assist blind and partially sighted individuals in navigating indoor spaces.

RoboGuide integrates advanced technologies into a commercially available robot body, overcoming limitations of current assistive robots, which often struggle with indoor navigation due to issues with GPS signals and line-of-sight limitations. RoboGuide tackles these problems with sophisticated sensors that map surroundings and interpret data in real-time to navigate obstacles and guide users.

The system employs a series of sensors and advanced software to learn optimal routes and avoid moving obstacles. It also incorporates large language model technology, allowing it to understand and respond to user queries verbally. Initial tests demonstrated its capability to provide interactive spoken guidance and assist with navigation.

RoboGuide represents a significant step towards leveraging technology for inclusivity, aiming to empower visually impaired individuals with greater independence and confidence in their daily lives and address the mobility challenges faced by the 2.2 billion people globally with sight loss, including two million in the UK.