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AIR -Unlocking intelligence: Using robotics to maximise the potential of disabled workers
Peter O’Neill, Senior Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University

Peter O’Neill has overcome extreme physical disability to pursue a ground-breaking career in software development and robotics. Today he’s working in academia and industry to develop robotic applications and communication technologies that will enable people with disability to achieve their full potential within the workplace. He’ll look at the technologies currently being developed, how they can become part of mainstream robotics applications and, most importantly, how this can unlock employers’ access to a rich new talent pool. In a world where intelligence – both human and constructed – is any company’s most valuable commodity, he’ll show how robotics can set it free.

Dr Peter O’Neill is robotics specialist, academic and entrepreneur. His current research at Sheffield Hallam University is focused on human-computer interaction, assistive technologies and robotics. He has worked in the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at Barnsley Hospital developing software assistive technology applications and has founded his own company, Madhouse Software Productions. He has a BSc in Software Engineering and a PhD in human – computer interaction, both from Sheffield Hallam.