Robotics

Wisdom Chukwunwike Agboh

Wisdom is studying for a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. He chose to study at the University due to the research interests and positive reputation of his supervisor, Dr Mehmet Dogar. The subject of Wisdom’s research is robotic manipulation planning. For more detail on Wisdom’s research, visit his PGR profile.

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Discover more about postgraduate robotics research at the University of Leeds 

Robotic manipulation

“Our research centres on manipulation planning,” Wisdom said.

“We have been able to develop planners and algorithms that give a robot the ability to reach into a cluttered fridge to grab an item – for example, a milk can – without having complete information about the contents of the fridge.

“While completing its task, the robot ensures that other items in the fridge are not damaged. Compared to prior work, our approach to robotic manipulation is robust to uncertainty, leverages parallel computing, and works in real-time."

Postgraduate community

“Leeds provides a strong community where you can be whatever you imagine,” Wisdom explained. He talked about how his working relationships with peers boosted his learning experience and enhanced his enrichment on campus.

“I value my relationship with other students the most,” he said.

“I also believe that being able to work successfully with others is crucial for my future career, and gaining these skills at Leeds has enabled me to appreciate the value of working as part of a team.”

Future plans

Wisdom explained that, for him, the best aspect of doing research in robotics has been about developing a novel research idea from scratch and seeing it work on a real robot. He said:

“Research in computer science and robotics can be challenging, especially when you can't find the bug in your code. However, when you see a real robot acting intelligently to complete a task, you realise that it has all been worth it.”

He added: “Seeing an idea come to life invokes a feeling that is inexplicable. I hope to continue contributing to the body of knowledge in robotics and to help realise the vision that robots are a useful asset to society.”