Prof Andrew Davison and his Robot Vision Research Group will receive 5m funding from Dyson to research domestic robots that can see and understand.
Dyson the engineering company best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners is to invest £5m in robotic vison at Imperial College. The research will focus on vision systems that can help robots understand and adapt to the world around them.
Sir James Dyson said: "My generation believed the world would be overrun by robots by the year 2014. We now have the mechanical and electronic capabilities, but robots still lack understanding - seeing and thinking in the way we do.
"Mastering this will make our lives easier and lead to previously unthinkable technologies."
Professor Andrew Davison a Professor of Robot Vision here in the Department of Computing and head of the the Robot Vision Research Group will lead the research. The research will cover domestic robots as well as robotic vacuum cleaners. Prof Davison, is an expert in Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) systems using a single camera.
He said: "A truly intelligent domestic robot needs to complete complex everyday tasks while adapting to a constantly changing environment.
"We will research and develop systems that allow machines to both understand and perceive their surroundings - using vision to achieve it.
In January, Dyson announced a £250m investment to double the size of its research centre in Wiltshire and hire 3,000 more engineers.
The company said it had "drawn up a blueprint" for the largest expansion in its 20-year history.
The plans include a new technology research and development campus but are still subject to planning permission.
To read more see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26084765
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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/house-robots-sir-james-dyson-3129784
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1373768.ece
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Royston Ingram
Department of Computing
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