CUTTING-edge robotics came to Winchester this week as the city's university hosted a prestigious international conference on artificial life.

The event, being held in Europe for the first time, featured the world's cheapest robot - developed by students at the University of Southampton - and a demonstration by Romsey-based Roke Manor Research Ltd on their latest device.

The company's future technology manager, Peter Lockhart, said Roke was at the ALIFE XI conference to demonstrate its DORA robot, which can be used to do dangerous work currently undertaken by humans, such as soldiers or security guards.

"We have built it to operate in dull, dirty or deadly environments," he said. "It's designed to recognise the environment it's in, build a 3D map and then return the information to a human operator.

Speaking about the value of the conference, he added: "This is such a fundamental area of research and there's lot of spinoff technologies and that's where we're interested.

"We're really just trying to build relationships with our community here. They may have technology we can perhaps use at Roke."

Alexis Johnson, one of five electrical engineering students at the University of Southampton who developed groundbreaking low-cost robots - they can cost as little as £15 each - said they could greatly benefit other research students.

The tiny robots, which learn from each other and work together as a swarm, could be used in disaster situations to relay vital information to people and avoid risk to human life.

"ALIFE is continuing to put new ideas into the common consciousness of scientists," said Dr Seth Bullock, from the University of Southampton.

"It acts as a melting pot for rarefied specialist fields to come together to talk and learn from each other."

The conference runs until tomorrow (Friday). For more information visit www.alifexi.org.