PhD Scholarship: Understanding Cheetah Locomotion using Inverse Reinforcement Learning

[4 January 2025]

Discovering how cheetahs achieve their incredible speed and agility can revolutionize the design of agile robots. This research aims to decode the principles behind cheetahs' rapid accelerations and sharp turns using inverse reinforcement learning (IRL), leading to advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Join Dr. Amir Patel's and Prof. Dimitrios Kanoulas' Intelligent Robotics Group at University College London (UCL), collaborating with experts in biomechanics, robotics, and machine learning. You'll also partner with MathWorks, gaining access to cutting-edge tools like MATLAB and Simulink and receiving mentorship from their development teams.

🔍 What We’re Looking For

• Investigate IRL Methods: Evaluate current IRL techniques using simulated mechanical models like inverted pendulums and monopod robots to refine analysis methods for dynamic systems.
• Apply IRL to Cheetah Data: Use existing datasets of cheetah movements to extract reward functions that explain their high-speed maneuvers. Analyze kinematic and kinetic data to determine what objectives cheetahs optimize during rapid actions.
• Implement Findings in Robotics: Test these reward functions on the Unitree Go2 quadruped robot. Develop and train reinforcement learning controllers to enhance the robot's agility, enabling it to perform movements similar to a cheetah.

🔍 What You Will Be Doing

• ✅ A strong background in engineering, computer science, robotics, or related fields.
• ✅ Experience or interest in machine learning, especially reinforcement learning.
• ✅ Proficiency in programming, preferably with MATLAB or Python.
• ✅ A passion for interdisciplinary research that bridges biology and robotics.

📩 How to Apply

If you're ready to shape the future of robotics and embark on a transformative research journey, we’d love to hear from you! Send your CV to us (amir.patel@ucl.ac.uk). Please use the subject [DTP Application] in your email.

Deadline: 24 January 2025

About Us

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) evaluation, UCL Computer Science was ranked 2nd in the UK for research power and 1st in England.

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