Research conducted over three years by the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), in collaboration with Bengaluru-based Ati Robotics, has moved from the laboratory to a factory floor, where a robot demonstrated a new way of navigating its surroundings. In the partnership, which began in 2023, researchers explored how robots could navigate using visual cues and spatial relationships, much as people recognise familiar landmarks to find their way.