About the Project
Evolutionary Robotics has a long history as an alternative to mainstream approaches to the design of robot morphologies and control systems. Today, it is an active and important area of interdisciplinary research and contributes in fields including artificial life, artificial intelligence, evolutionary systems, cognitive science and scientific education, as well as providing a case study for research in epistemology and the philosophy of science. This PhD project will contribute to ongoing research in the lab of Dr Adam Stanton. We are interested in using evolution to generate robust robot control systems, where the developed architectures can cope with uncertainty in tasks as well as physical instantiation (e.g. between simulation and real-world robots).
Research could take a number of routes as the project develops, but in all cases there will be the opportunity to develop skills in high-performance simulation and nature-inspired robot control, as well as acquiring and contributing to theoretical knowledge of evolutionary systems in the context of autonomous machines.
Keele University is renowned for its exciting approach to higher education and research, beautiful campus, strong community spirit and excellent student life. The University has the UK’s largest campus with 617 acres of landscaped parkland, fields, woodlands and lakes. Keele University runs its own day nursery for infants from 3 months to 5 years and is committed to equality and diversity. Information for prospective postgraduate researchers can be found here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/pgresearch/
Research Context: This PhD project will connect with on-going international collaborative research inspired by an ambition to build autonomous machines by using and developing theoretical and practical knowledge of evolutionary systems. The research will be supervised by Dr Adam Stanton in the Centre for Computer Science Research at Keele University, in collaboration with other national and international project partners.
To apply please go to: https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/postgraduateresearch/researchareas/computerscience/
Please quote FNS GS 2020-05 on your application.
Informal enquiries about the project are very welcome by email to the Project Lead Dr Adam Stanton, [Email Address Removed]
Candidate Profile
Essential
Applications are welcomed from science, technology, engineering or mathematics graduates with (or anticipating) at least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent. Applicants will require good general computing skills and the confidence to approach difficult problems with creativity and tenacity.
Applicants should have an enthusiasm for design and experimentation as well as a willingness to acquire new skills.
Ideally, applicants will be self-motivated and have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
This opportunity is open to UK/EU and overseas students. The collaborative and presentation aspects of the research require good English language and communication skills. Overseas applicants would therefore require an English IELTS (or equivalent) of 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any subtest.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications are welcomed from science, technology, engineering or mathematics graduates with (or anticipating) at least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent. Applicants should have an enthusiasm for: developing high-performance software; working with simulated robotic systems; and understanding how evolutionary systems can be leveraged to achieve specific goals.
This opportunity is open to UK/EU and overseas students. The collaborative and presentation aspects of the research require good English language and communication skills. Overseas applicants would therefore require an English IELTS (or equivalent) of 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any subtest.
Keele University values diversity, and is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity. In support of these commitments, Keele University particularly welcomes applications from women and from individuals of black and ethnic minority backgrounds for this post. The School of Computing and Mathemtics and Keele University have both been awarded Athena Swan awards and Keele University is a member of the Disability Confident scheme. More information is available on these web pages:
https://www.keele.ac.uk/equalitydiversity/
https://www.keele.ac.uk/athenaswan/
https://www.keele.ac.uk/raceequalitycharter/raceequalitycharter/
Funding Notes
Open to fully self funded students only.
Please note that self-funded applicants must provide funding for both tuition fees and living expenses for the 3 year duration of the research. There is a future possibliity of competitive scholarship awards for outstanding applicants (1st class honours), however, none are currently available. For information regarding university tuition fees please see: http://www.keele.ac.uk/pgresearch/feesandfinance/
Source of funding: This opportunity is for self-funded applicants only.
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