As part of an exciting learning experience in Computer Science, students have been introduced to Bernard the robotic dog, resident computerised canine at the University of Sunderland.

Bernard, which is one of the most advanced quadrupedal robots in development, was brought to the Academy by Mark Bennison, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer for the BSc (Hons) Computer Science course. Bernard joined the Faculty of Technology and Engineering at Sunderland in 2021 to showcase what robotic technology can do and he is one of only a handful of his kind in the UK.

Bernard first joined a Year 12 Computer Science lesson to introduce students to the way that robotics can be used in an applied way to solve tasks. At the end of the school day, he was then available for younger students to meet and Mark was happy to answer their questions and demonstrate Bernard's capabilities, including his impressive dance moves. Bernard is worth approximately £100,000.