Maria Scarpa won the Mid Stage Prize at the Imperial College Robotics Forum-Amazon PhD Prize for her innovative research on collaborative robots.
In a celebration of excellence in robotics research, Maria Scarpa has been awarded the Mid Stage Prize at the Imperial College London Robotics Forum-Amazon PhD Prizes for Outstanding Achievement in Robotics! This recognition comes as part of a collaborative initiative between Imperial College London and Amazon to highlight exceptional contributions in robotics research.
The competition, which featured nine finalists across three categories – Early Stage, Mid Stage, and Final Stage – showcased some of the most innovative research in robotics. Candidates presented their work to an academic panel comprised of robotics researchers from Imperial College and representatives from Amazon Robotics.
Maria is pursuing her PhD in Control Engineering, under the supervision of Dr Thulasi Mylvaganam. Control engineering – which lies at the lies at the interface of engineering and applied mathematics – plays a key role in autonomous systems. Maria’s winning research focuses on developing advanced control strategies for collaborative robots, employing game theory to enhance robot cooperation. Her work also extends to the control of complex robotic systems, such as snake robots, designed to operate effectively in unpredictable environments. The judging panel selected winners based on both the quality of presentation and the research's relevance to the field.
The award ceremony, which took place during the Robotics Forum Christmas Party, offered an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange between the finalists, judges, and other researchers in the robotics community. This gathering served as a platform to celebrate achievements in robotics research and foster collaboration between academia and industry.
This recognition not only highlights Maria and the research group’s contributions to the field but also underscores the growing importance of research in control systems and collaborative robotics. Maria’s work continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in robot cooperation and environmental adaptation, key areas for the future of robotics.
Article text (excluding photos or graphics) © Imperial College London.
Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London.
Reporter
Meg Orpwood-Russell
Department of Aeronautics
