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School of Engineering

Autonomous systems and robotics laboratory

The IROHMS Autonomous Systems and Robotics Laboratory supports cutting-edge research that aims to solve practical problems driven by real-world industrial applications.

We cover a wide range of research areas in the fields of robotics and autonomous systems, with focus on:

  • robot perception and learning
  • 3D vision, reconstruction and visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM)
  • robot vision
  • reinforcement learning for robot control and planning
  • deep learning
  • multi-modal robot sensing
  • smart manufacturing

Technical facilities

Our lab provides cutting-edge equipment, including:

KUKA LBR iiwa cobots

These lightweight collaborative robots are specialised for use in delicate assembly work and support human-robot collaboration in workspaces. Using torque sensors, the robot can detect contact immediately and reduce its level of force and speed, and its compliance control enables it to handle delicate components safely. The LBR iiwa can learn and supports multiple operating modes and programming through simulation.

KUKA youBot

Our Kuka youBots can be used for experimentation, teaching and research. The mobile robot platform features an omnidirectional base and arm with five degrees of freedom, an API compatible with ROS and a payload of ~20kg. In addition to the robotic arm the platform can accommodate sensors.

TurtleBot3 Waffle Pi robots

We have five TurtleBot3 Waffle Pi mobile platform robots in our lab. These robots can be used for teaching, research, and product development. They feature a modular, compact and customisable unit that operates ROS, with 360° LiDAR for SLAM and navigation and a Raspberry Pi camera for perception.

Drones

The lab offers two Parrot Anafi quadcopters and a USV (unmanned surface vehicle), which allow us to conduct innovative research in the fields of aerial and marine robotics and automation.

Microsoft HoloLens 2

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 allows us to explore research challenges in the fields of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. The hardware is supported by powerful software to develop comprehensive applications which can be used in collaboration with research and development.

Practical applications

Research conducted at the Autonomous Systems and Robotics Lab has valuable practical application to real problems, allowing us to provide innovative solutions to industry and research needs.

We have collaborated on multiple projects with partners in industry, including Renishaw, Continental Teves, Carlisle Brake Products (UK) Ltd., and Airbus UK.

We envisage an enhanced robot cognitive capability through deploying advanced multi-modal perceptual capabilities, and continuous self-learning to understand the environment in 3D, predict situations via machine/deep learning, and support humans in real-world problems.

Virtual tour

Watch our virtual tour on YouTube.

For any queries, please contact ras_lab@cardiff.ac.uk.