3 Research Studentships available

[Noel Sharkey]

PLEASE PASS ON TO ANY FINAL YEAR UNDERGRADUATES OR MASTERS WHO ARE SEEKING
FUNDED PHD PLACES. Sorry if you receive this more than once.



		3 RESEARCH STUDENTSHIPS IN NEURAL COMPUTING AND ROBOTICS

    			Department of Computer Science
	                 University of Sheffield


Three funded PhD studentships are available, two from from 1st August,
and one from end of September, 1996. The first of these is restricted
to British Students only and the other 2 are for students from
countries within the European Community.

1. Neural Computing.

Projects on any topic within the field of neural computing will be
considered.  Two areas of particular interest are (a) Improving the
reliability of neural computing applications through the use of
ensembles of nets and (b) Cognitive modelling, transfer and
interference.

2. Autonomous Mobile Robotics.

The project would provide an ideal opportunity for a creative student
to work on the development of ``intelligent'' behaviour on a mobile
robot. Neural computing techniques have already been applied in our
lab to develop a number of low level behaviours on a Nomad200. The
student would be expected to develop higher level behavioural
control. There are a number of different approaches that could be
taken.  For example: using representations developed at the lower
levels to induce higher level behaviours or using a human and animal
developmental paradigm. However, nothing is set in stone for this
project and a good proposal will go a long way.


3. Pharmaceutical Robotics

Aim: The development of a neural computing system for
coordinating robot arms in the task of mixing dangerous drugs.

This project is in collaboration with the Pharmacy Unit at the
Northern General Hospital. Their problem is that they currently employ
more than twenty highly-qualified specialist staff to spend a large
part of their day involved in the rather tedious task of mixing
drugs. Since many of the drugs are very dangerous to humans (such as
anti-cancer drugs), much of the work has to take place inside a sealed
glass case that is accessed by attached gloves (a glove box). The
solution is to put robot arms into the cases and let them do most of
the work.

It should be noted that this is a research project and offers a number of
interesting robotics problems. The student would not be expected to develop
a commercial system.


Further information about neural computing within the Artificial
Intelligence and Neural Networks (AINN) research group can be viewed on
WWW: http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/research/groups/nn  (This will not be
ready to view until Wednesday, 1st, May).


Application forms may be obtained from our PhD admission secretary
Jill Martin jill at dcs.shef.ac.uk. Or write to Ms J. Martin,
Department of Computer Science, 211 Portabello St., 
Sheffield, S1 4DP, S. Yorks, UK.

Forms should be accompanied by a short proposal (less than a page)
about what the applicant would like to work on, but this does not
commit the applicant.