PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Lucy Rogers

Lucy Rogers is an engineer and author whose work includes animatronic robotics and a book contribution about artificial intelligence. She graduated in mechanical engineering in 1995, completed a PhD in engineering at Lancaster University in 2001, and published It’s ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English in 2008. In 2014, she and her team updated Blackgang Chine’s animatronic dinosaurs with Raspberry Pis and Node-RED; in 2018, she contributed to DK’s Robot, a book about robotics and AI. She delivered an inaugural lecture as Brunel University London’s Visiting Professor of Engineering: Creativity and Communication in 2021, received an MBE for services to engineering in 2024, and published Up: A Scientist’s Guide to the Magic Above Us in April 2026. As of October 2026, she is Honorary President of the Institution of Engineering Designers, a Visitor at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, and is developing the Extreme Environments Engineering Hub.

Now at
Institution of Engineering Designers and University of Cambridge
Born
1973
Links
Website and LinkedIn

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1995–2001

    Mechanical engineering and a PhD

    She graduates in mechanical engineering in 1995 and completes a PhD in engineering at Lancaster University in 2001.

  2. 2008

    A plain-English rocket book

    In 2008, she publishes It’s ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English through Springer; universities and training facilities use it.

  3. 2014

    Blackgang Chine dinosaur retrofit

    In 2014, she and her team update Blackgang Chine’s animatronic dinosaurs with Raspberry Pis and Node-RED, giving them longer, more varied behaviour loops.

  4. 2018

    DK’s Robot and AI

    In 2018, she contributes to DK’s Robot: Meet the Machines of the Future, which covers how robotics and artificial intelligence are part of everyday life.

  5. 2021

    Visiting Professor at Brunel

    In 2021, she gives an inaugural lecture as Brunel University London’s Visiting Professor of Engineering: Creativity and Communication.

  6. 2024

    Robot Wars and an MBE

    In 2024, she receives an MBE for services to engineering; her career also includes judging BBC Robot Wars.

  7. April 2026

    A science book about skies

    In April 2026, she publishes Up: A Scientist’s Guide to the Magic Above Us, exploring the science and surprises of the world above.

  8. As of October 2026

    IED Honorary President

    As of October 2026, she is Honorary President of the Institution of Engineering Designers and a Visitor at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing. She is developing the Extreme Environments Engineering Hub (ExEEH).

Career

  1. NowInstitution of Engineering DesignersHonorary President
  2. NowUniversity of CambridgeVisitor
  3. From 2021Brunel University of LondonVisiting Professor of Engineering: Creativity and Communication

Education

  1. 2001Lancaster UniversityPhD in engineering

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Cambridge. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Cambridge. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  3. Companies supply the most prior-work hires at 7 of the 9 frontier AI labsIncludes University of Cambridge. Our estimates of the organizations where 550 people worked directly before joining 9 frontier AI labs across 620 career transitions, comparing the main feeder organizations per lab.
  4. 84% of people shaping AI with recorded undergraduate and doctoral schools changed institutions for their doctorateIncludes University of Cambridge. 84% of people shaping AI with recorded undergraduate and doctoral schools changed institutions for their doctorate. Across 2,116 people with both an undergraduate degree and a doctorate recorded, we trace which undergraduate schools feed which doctoral programs, how often students stay at the same school, and how paths differ by birth-country region.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Lucy Rogers yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. MBE for Lancaster Engineering graduate and BBC Robot Wars judge - Lancaster University lancaster.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Dr Lucy Rogers awarded MBE by the King - Dr Lucy Rogers MBE lucyrogers.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Dinosaur retrofit - Raspberry Pi raspberrypi.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Robot: Meet the Machines of the Future - DK - Google Books books.google.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Research Festival: Manufacturing | Brunel University of London brunel.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Up penguin.co.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. About - Dr Lucy Rogers MBE FREng lucyrogers.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Dr Lucy Rogers MBE - Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.