Programes
Msc Biorobotics
The next frontier in robotics will take inspiration from biology to design robots that are soft, smart, green and social. From microrobots for cancer treatment, to swarms powering warehouses, soft grippers for manufacturing, and new material interfaces for prosthetics, biorobots will provide solutions to today’s global challenges. State-of-the-art robots will in turn power scientific discovery, allowing for the study of living systems in their natural habitats from robots automating experiments in the lab, to artificial fish studying pollution in the deep sea.
This programme brings together life scientists and engineers in an interdisciplinary environment where solutions are co-created with stakeholders in mind. For the life scientists, this will open new horizons powered by robotics and AI, skills in high demand in today’s job market. For the engineers, this will go beyond a typical robotics training, towards reinventing the way robots are designed and used with bioinspiration at heart.
This unique combination of biology and engineering will develop core professional skills including working across disciplines and responsible open-ended innovation. The programme centres around a common core in fundamental robotics and life sciences, followed by dedicated taught- and project-based biorobotics units that will walk you through latest research and applications, with a hands-on understanding of how to build these systems yourself, and demonstrations of how they can be used for good.
Also check MSc Robotics and MSc Aerial Robotics.
Units
Advanced Topics in Swarm Robotics
5 hours
Nature has found clever solutions for the design of intelligent systems. Chemical networks, cells, brains and societies are able to self-organise to perform seemingly complex tasks. These behaviours result from evolution, development, and learning.
With this course we aim to take inspiration from nature
We will bring you on a journey from the scientific breakthroughs in swarm robotics over the past 20 years, to the most recent work deploying swarms in the real world.
Topics will include:
- From natural swarms to swarm robotics (collective motion, pattern formation, decision making, self-assembly)
- AI-powered swarming
- Swarms in applications
- Trustworthy swarms for people
- Breaking swarm stereotypes
Each week you will have a lecture and a practical session where you will learn to program and design swarms in simulation or reality – and we’ll show you the robots from the lab!
Previous Units
Biosystems and Biorobotics
Group Projects in Biorobotics
Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Math Data Modelling 3
Engineering Mathematics 2
Engineering Mathematics 1
Computer Programming