Through a modular, multi-environment approach, demonstrated by the operational DroneHub, the framework supports rigorous, reproducible experimentation that remains grounded in practical relevance. The work also reframes the role of testbeds in robotics, positioning them not simply as testing grounds, but as dynamic scientific instruments that support responsible, adaptive, and interdisciplinary innovation.
Closing the Gap Between Controlled Testing and Real-World Deployment
Robotics holds significant potential for contributing to global sustainability through applications in environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, disaster response, and beyond. Yet despite this promise, progress remains uneven, in part due to how robotic systems are currently tested.
Most research takes place either in highly controlled lab settings or in uncontrolled real-world environments. Labs offer precision and repeatability, but lack realism. Outdoor deployments, while authentic, introduce variability that complicates scientific validation. This creates a critical gap in experimentation - one that limits the development of reliable, field-ready systems capable of supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The new proposed testbed framework aims to address this gap.
By offering structured experimentation in environments that more accurately reflect real-world conditions, it enables the development of robotic systems that are not only technically sound but also ecologically and socially informed. This approach lays the groundwork for what the authors describe as a new field: Sustainability Robotics, which integrates environmental, ethical, and societal considerations into every stage of robotics research and development.
Rethinking Robotics Testbeds: From Static Facilities to Living Laboratories
Globally, robotics testbeds tend to fall into one of two categories: highly controlled indoor laboratories or large, unstructured outdoor ranges. Each offers advantages. For example, indoor environments allow for algorithmic precision and repeatability, while outdoor settings provide exposure to realistic environmental variables. However, both also present limitations.
Indoor facilities lack ecological complexity. Outdoor testbeds, while realistic, make it difficult to reproduce results or maintain control over key variables. This trade-off between precision and relevance leads to what the authors call the "reproducibility paradox," where increased realism comes at the cost of scientific rigor.
To overcome these structural limitations, the paper proposes a five-principle design framework for sustainability-oriented testbeds:
- Modular, multi-environment architecture
- Adaptive environments balancing realism and control
- Integration with digital twins to connect simulation and reality
- Support for interdisciplinary collaboration and co-evolution
- Embedded impact metrics for environmental and social performance
Together, these principles promote a shift from traditional, single-purpose testbeds to flexible, evolving infrastructures capable of supporting both high-quality research and real-world relevance. By embedding lifecycle and sustainability metrics directly into the experimentation process, the framework ensures that technical performance is evaluated alongside ecological and social impact.
DroneHub: A Multi-Environment Platform for Sustainable Robotics
DroneHub, located on the NEST innovation platform at Empa in Switzerland, serves as a working example of the proposed framework. Designed as a modular, multi-environment testbed, it functions as a scientific instrument for developing and validating robotic systems that address both environmental and societal challenges.
The facility comprises three core research environments:
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Construction Robotics Zone: This zone includes a modular “Aerial AM Wall” designed for testing aerial additive manufacturing, robotic manipulation, and inspection techniques on full-scale facades. It enables feedback-driven fabrication and material interaction under semi-controlled outdoor conditions.
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Robotics Biosphere Zone: A semi-natural environment with artificial flora, soil beds, and water features, this zone supports the evaluation of bio-inspired, biodegradable, and multi-modal robotic systems intended for ecological monitoring and environmental stewardship.
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Infrastructure Robotics Interface: Featuring reconfigurable building facades, this zone explores robotic interaction with urban infrastructure for inspection, maintenance, and emergency response. It supports research in human-robot-infrastructure collaboration in dynamic urban settings.
Each zone is supported by an integrated digital twin system. This includes a physics-based simulation pipeline and a comprehensive data management platform that logs all experimental and environmental data in accordance with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. This ensures reproducibility and enables remote collaboration across research teams.
The testbed also includes a structured, three-tier access model that ranges from independent external use to full co-development with the in-house team, along with safety protocols and public engagement features to support transparent and responsible research practices.
Toward a Networked Future for Sustainable Research
Beyond its immediate application, DroneHub is envisioned as an early prototype for a federated, intelligent testbed network - a distributed system of cloud-connected, AI-enabled environments capable of supporting global research collaboration and multi-site experimentation.
Its infrastructure is designed with future adaptability in mind, including features such as self-monitoring systems, reconfigurable surfaces, and real-time environmental responsiveness.
By aligning the testbed’s architecture with the demands of interdisciplinary research and real-world deployment, the framework anticipates future challenges and opportunities in sustainable technology development.
Conclusion: Enabling Responsible, Impact-Oriented Robotics
This work presents a timely and compelling response to one of robotics' central challenges: how to move from controlled environments to impactful real-world solutions without compromising scientific rigor.
By redefining testbed design through a sustainability lens, the proposed framework offers a path forward for aligning robotics research with global priorities.
DroneHub, as an operational realization of this framework, demonstrates the value of testbeds as more than experimental platforms. It positions them as shared scientific instruments capable of supporting co-creation across disciplines.
Ultimately, this research invites the robotics community to expand its definition of performance. Rather than focusing solely on speed, accuracy, or efficiency, it encourages a broader, impact-oriented view. One in which testbeds are designed to evaluate not only what robots can do, but what they should do in the service of a more sustainable future.
Journal Reference
Kaya, Y. F., Häusermann, D., Nguyen, P. H., Orr, L., & Kovac, M. (2026). The DroneHub: a multi-environment testbed for sustainability robotics. Npj Robotics, 4(1). DOI:10.1038/s44182-025-00054-z. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44182-025-00054-z
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