Building the future of Scotlands tech industry
In 2024, we had the absolute pleasure of producing a film in partnership with the National Robotarium to celebrate their second year anniversary. It was a total eye-opener not just seeing the advanced robotics and cutting-edge facilities firsthand, but witnessing how human ingenuity and technology are fusing together to tackle challenges we’d never imagined solvable or even realised needed solving.
We interviewed Fergal Mackie, founder of Metacarpal, whose work in mechanical hand prosthetics earned him a place on the (The Times) 2025 Young Power List. His journey from breaking both his wrists to building accessible, battery-free prosthetic hands is genuinely inspiring. We also spoke with Veghel Acuna from Crover, whose work on a grain-swimming robot is transforming agri-tech and food storage by reducing waste and improving food security.
With little knowledge around this kind of tech, it was a highlight to incorporate it into a script which was not only light hearted but grounded in their industry experience and insights. We collaborated with the staff from story development to the main production and gained enough of their trust in the process to ensure they enjoyed delivering their best performance!
AI vs PRoduction
The way I see it, AI isn’t replacing the human role in media production—it’s more like the boat that keeps me afloat so I can enjoy the view. It handles the time-consuming tasks that can weigh down creative work: generating storyboards and shot lists, transcribing interviews, doing basic sound and colour fixes, curating emails, and even helping me stay on top of my to-do list. It gives me space to focus on the creative and relational side of what we do—telling better stories, connecting with the right people, and staying inspired.
For a production company like ours, AI is like having a part-time assistant with endless stamina. It’s helped streamline everything from post-production to daily planning, making us faster, leaner, and more focused. And as we work more closely with cutting-edge tech clients, it feels right that our workflow evolves alongside theirs.
As long as you make it work with your voice and not instead of your voice.
Frontline of TECH
Honestly, when I first heard of the National Robotarium, I just thought it sounded really cool. Turns out—it is. It’s a place built to bring real-world, impactful tech to life. From robotics and AI to healthcare and agriculture, it's where ideas grow into things that genuinely help people. The Robotarium brings together people from all walks of life—engineers, academics, entrepreneurs—with different skills, dreams, and worldviews. It’s the future, dispelling the looming threat of robot overlords.
Scotland’s long been a driver of global innovation—from the Enlightenment to breakthroughs in medicine—and the National Robotarium feels like a part of the next chapter in that legacy. The diversity and ambition in this one building are remarkable. As a production team, it’s inspiring to capture stories here—where technology, humanity, and creativity all collide. We’d be honoured to work together again.
FINAL Thoughts
It’s a great example of how an organisation showcases it’s progress over two years while still incorporating humour.
With fears around tech and AI becoming a part of nearly every conversation these days, it’s reassuring to see an institute like The National Robotarium—right at the heart of it all—focusing on how technology and society can move forward in lockstep.
They’re showing that progress doesn’t have to come at the expense of people. It can (and should) happen with real, regular human beings at the helm.
Robbie Durham,
25.04.202
