What is robotics made of? The interdisciplinary politics of robotics research

Abstract Under framings of grand challenges, robotics has been proposed as a solution to wide range societal issues such road safety, ageing society, economic productivity and climate change. However, what exactly is research? From its inception, an inherently interdisciplinary field, bringing together diverse domains engineering, cognitive science, computer science and, more recently, knowledge from social sciences humanities. Previous research on interdisciplinarity shows that this mode production often driven by concerns political choices. The politics who gets make these choices terms the focus empirical in paper. Using novel mixed-method approach combining bibliometrics, desk-based analysis fieldwork, article builds narrative at UK’s largest public lab, Bristol Robotics Laboratory. This paper argues for recognition plural ways knowing interdisciplinarity. citation analysis, through tracing emerging fields disciplines, to, finally, investigation researchers’ experiences; each method contributes distinct complementary outlook “what made of”. While bibliometrics allows visualising prominent disciplines keywords, document reveals influential missing stakeholders. Meanwhile, fieldwork explores logics underpinning identifies capabilities necessary perform research. In doing so, synthesises locating provides recommendations enabling “structural preparedness interdisciplinarity”.