Connectionists: 2 PhD Positions in Brain-based Sensor Fusion for Navigating Robots

[Michael Milford]

I am seeking 2 PhD students in Computational Neuroscience, Robotics and Computer Science to work on a newly funded project:



Brain-based Sensor Fusion For Navigating Robots



This project will develop new methods for sensor fusion using brain-based algorithms for calibration, learning and recall. Current robotic sensor fusion techniques are primarily based on fusing depth or feature data from range and vision sensors. These approaches require manual calibration and are restricted to environments with structured geometry and reliable visual features. In contrast, rats rapidly calibrate a wide range of sensors to learn and navigate in environments ranging from a pitch-black sewer in Cairo to a featureless desert in America. The project will produce robots that, like rats, autonomously learn how best to use their sensor suites, enabling unsupervised, rapid deployment in a range of environments.



An ideal student will be proficient in coding in C/C++ and Matlab, have experience with robot, sensor (cameras and range sensors) and computer vision hardware, strong writing and oral communication skills, and a background in robot navigation, neural networks and computational neuroscience. Candidates who are both experienced and interested in pursuing truly interdisciplinary research are desirable.



Further details of the projects, scholarship opportunities and application process are available here:



https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/cyphy/Applications+Milford



Details of the Project Leader are available here:



https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/cyphy/Michael+Milford



Details of the QUT CyPhy laboratory are available here:



https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/cyphy

Michael Milford

* Recent Publications *

* Navigating without GPS, using only a web camera - "Mapping a Suburb with a Single Camera using a Biologically Inspired SLAM System", IEEE Transactions on Robotics, link http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=4627450

* Continual mapping and navigation over a 2 week office delivery robot experiment - "Persistent Navigation and Mapping using a Biologically Inspired SLAM System", International Journal of Robotics Research, http://ijr.sagepub.com/content/29/9/1131.abstract

* Combining robotics, neuroscience and animal navigation to manage uncertainty when navigating - "Solving Navigational Uncertainty Using Grid Cells on Robots", PLoS Computational Biology, http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000995

More information available at: https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/cyphy/Michael+Milford

Lecturer
School of Engineering Systems
Faculty of Built Environments and Engineering
Queensland University of Technology
Tel: +61 7 3138 9969
E-mail: michael.milford at qut.edu.au<mailto:michael.milford at qut.edu.au>
Linked in Profile: http://au.linkedin.com/pub/michael-milford/38/124/263
CRICOS No 00213J

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20111201/a55fe0b9/attachment-0001.html