Masters/MSc postgraduate degree course/programme in Robotics , University of Birmingham

Masters/MSc postgraduate degree course in Robotics:

The state of robotics today is analogous to that of personal computing in the early 1970s. Numerous small robot companies are innovating and producing hundreds of different types of robots for applications in logistics, entertainment, aerospace, agriculture, subsea maintenance, rehabilitation, surgery, and far more. This is the start. The true power of robotics to revolutionise our lives is only just about to realised. In the next ten years robots will stop working in factories and start working in our everyday world. The revolution is being driven by new algorithms and mechanisms that help robots cope with the uncertainty and rapid change in our world. Birmingham has one of the leading centres for robotics research in Europe, with 7 faculty and over 20 researchers, and we are now looking for students at Master’s level to help us continue to create the robotics revolution.

This programme is intended for graduates of any numerate science or engineering disciplines, particularly electronic engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, physics and mathematics. Students will learn modern theories of robotic control, artificial intelligence for robotics, robot vision, robot manipulation and the widely used software frameworks commonly used to implement standard algorithms in mobile robots and robot manipulators. Graduates of the programme will be excellent qualified to work either in industry in a development or research and development role or to pursue a research degree in robotics. Entrants to the programme should have had some exposure to programming. A pre-semester course in programming for those not adept in C/C++ or Java will be offered.

The programme is composed of a taught core covering mobile robotics, robot manipulation, and robot vision. You will be taught the mathematical fundamentals of robotic control, and take two short research projects on current world-leading externally funded research projects run by the Intelligent Robotics Lab. You will have access to a lab equipped with more than £1m of the latest mobile robot research platforms and robot manipulators. We also arrange industrial placements for our students with leading robotics companies in the region and around the UK. Scholarships are available for excellent students of £5000 as a contribution to your living expenses.

Course fact file

Type of Course: Taught

Study Options: Full time

Duration: 1 year full-time

Start date: September/October

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Dr Jeremy Wyatt
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Course details

Details

This is a one year full-time programme. There is a taught core in which you will take three compulsory modules on intelligent mobile robotics, robot dynamics and manipulator control and robot vision. In each you will study robotics to an advanced level.

We teach mobile robotics using the ROS (Robot Operating System) and cover modern probabilistic approaches to mobile robotics, including localisation, navigation, motion planning and map learning. In robot vision you will learn methods for recovery of scene structure, object recognition, appearance based vision tracking, camera calibration, as well as more advanced methods for object categorisation and machine learning in computer vision. In our course on robot manipulation you will be taught the kinematics and dynamics of robot manipulators, and cover current techniques in control of industrial and research manipulators.

You will also work on at least one research project, typically attached to a live externally funded robot research project. Here you will work intensively on a one-to-one basis with one of a faculty member or a member of our research staff to explore a particular topic in great depth – analysing the problem and existing solutions, developing new ideas and building or evaluating prototype systems. Typical projects include robust grasping with dextrous manipulation, recovery of scene geometry, mobile robot task planning, and mobile manipulation.

You will develop your skills in experimental analysis, mathematical foundations of robotics, research skills, software engineering skills and also in presenting and explaining your work clearly and effectively. In addition, you will be able to choose from several optional taught modules drawn from related fields such as neural computation, AI planning or computer vision. All students work on a 4 month summer research project in an area of robotics over the summer, again with expert one-to-one supervision, leading to your Master’s dissertation.

Teaching is by a variety of methods. Typical modules require two lectures per week, plus two to eight hours of supervised labs, supervised problem classes and also one-to-one supervision. There will be some group work as part of the taught modules. You will be expected to attend weekly lab meetings and research seminars as part of the course. There are opportunities for industry-based project work. Perhaps most importantly, you will be part of a small, highly qualified group of students working closely with researchers within the Robotics lab.

Through the course you will become a specialist in robot algorithms and software development. Graduates from this programme will be excellently equipped for software development roles in the robotics industry or research and development roles, or to go on to pursue a research degree in robotics.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for 2013/2014 are as follows:

£5,130 for home/EU students
£16,770 for international students

Part-time programmes

Most part-time programmes run for two years and their fees are one half of the standard full-time programme fees. A small number of part-time programmes run for three years and in these cases the annual fees are one third of the total full-time cost. Contact us for further information.

UK student visa regulations mean that students classed as overseas for fees purposes may normally only register on a full-time basis.

Further funding information

Standard fees apply, There is an additional £500 bench fee.
Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships and studentships
For information about scholarships for students on our postgraduate taught programmes visit www.cs.bham.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate-taught/scholarships.php. International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

For further information contact the School directly or email sfo@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Entry requirements

First degree (BSc or equivalent) at 2(i) level (or equivalent) in Computer Science. Alternatively degrees in Electronic Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, or other numerate disciplines will be acceptable. Students should have done some programming prior to starting the degree.

Learn more about entry requirements .

International students
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries – learn more about international entry requirements.

Standard English language requirements apply.

How to apply

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

Register your interest

Apply to study here

Contact

Dr Jeremy Wyatt
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Overview

Learning and teaching

Teaching is by a variety of methods. Typical modules require two lectures per week, plus two to eight hours of supervised labs, supervised problem classes and also one-to-one supervision. There will be some group work as part of the taught modules. You will be expected to attend weekly lab meetings and research seminars as part of the course.

There are opportunities for industry-based project work. Perhaps most importantly, you will be part of a small, highly qualified group of students working closely with researchers within the Robotics lab.

Print this page

Download as PDF

Send to a friend

Register your interest

Apply to study here

Contact

Dr Jeremy Wyatt
Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8742
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 4281
Email: msc-admissions@cs.bham.ac.uk

School of Computer Science

Course details

Employability

Through the course you will become a specialist in robotics. Graduates from this programme will be well-equipped for software development roles in the robotics industry or research and development roles, or to go on to pursue a research degree in robotics.

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