Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS)
The Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group conducts research into a range of robotic systems and autonomous systems from social robots to digital twins and simulation.
Robotics and autonomous systems will play a crucial role in our everyday lives over the next decade. In particular, robots will play an important role in healthcare, social care, transportation and the nuclear industry. LJMU has developed an exciting new Centre of Excellence for Robotics that will provide a world-class learning environment for our students and a 21st century base for our robotic and automation specialists, helping them to pilot and test the latest digital technology with our industry partners.
Based in the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, with links to colleagues in Engineering and Built Environment, our group boasts a wealth of facilities used in projects and collaborations with partners across a broad range of sectors, as well as a state-of-the-art learning environment for our students.
The group covers a broad range of robotic technologies with specific expertise in the following areas:
- Robot learning – deep learning, reinforcement learning
- Decision-making
- Path planning
- Human-robot interaction
- Digital twin and simulation
- Facial and emotion recognition
- Health and social care
- Search and rescue
Current projects
The RAS group is due to commence work on a Liverpool City Region (LCR) Life Sciences Investment Zone project (£1.7M) focused on using social robots to improve the quality of life of older adults and people living with early-stage dementia. The TALASCM project (Technology Assisted Living And Social Care Management) will work towards the development of a smart living environment that combines social robots, IoT devices and sensor networks to assist the day-to-day living of older adults and provide caregivers and clinicians with a wealth of data. The project will also provide and incubator and development platform for startups and SMEs to develop the next-generation of smart devices and services for assisted living.
Collaborations are central to the work of the group. Consequently, researchers from our group have formed national and international partnerships both within academia and industry, primarily in healthcare, social care and special needs education.
