| Unit name | Robotics Research Technology and Methods |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EMATM0058 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Richards |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
Robotics industry and research is advancing at a rapid pace. This unit provides students with the critical skills necessary to assess the quality, validity, and significance of research at the frontier of robotics. Students will evaluate a variety of research sources across technological and broader societal contexts. Students will learn to identify gaps, assess methodologies, and critically interpret findings - skills that are fundamental for informed decision-making, especially in academic or industrial research settings.
Companies and research groups allocate resources and seek funding by generating proposals for their activities, connecting arguments for their importance to plans for their execution. This unit prepares students to write such proposals to a professional level, also supporting their forthcoming dissertation projects by carefully justifying and allocating their own research efforts.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit spans both teaching block 1 and teaching block 2, supporting students to contextualise their other complementary units of study. Materials presented in the first half of this unit expose students to latest research thinking from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory community, introducing them to a variety of topics that will inform their dissertation development.
In the second half of the unit, students combine these concepts to develop their proposals for their own dissertation projects. This ensures students not only gain technical expertise but also the ability to rigorously assess and contribute to the field through scholarly research. The unit fosters transferable skills that extend beyond academia, including research communication, critical thinking, and scientific writing—key competencies for careers in R&D, consultancy, and robotics-driven industries.
An overview of content
Topics covered in this unit will include:
1. Students will engage with a diverse selection of robotics research topics through seminars delivered by academics from Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and through a structured programme of reading and discussion groups. This allows students to explore their own interests and motivations, informing their choice of dissertation topic.
2. Students will learn how to define research questions, justify methodologies, and structure a research proposal to a professional level. This research proposal prepares students for their dissertation project, equipping them with skills that are highly valued in research-driven organisations.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Critically analyse and evaluate the impact (e.g., social, economic, environmental, political, legal, or ethical impact) of the use of robotics and autonomous systems across a range of potential applications.
2. Create, plan and communicate a proposal for original research in robotics and autonomous systems, considering both the academic merits of the ideas and the practical considerations (e.g. the management of risk, time and resources).
3. Identify and interpret relevant state-of-the-art research literature to synthesise and communicate a well-supported argument for a proposed research project.
Robotics research technology seminars. Each seminar slot will usually have two speakers from Bristol Robotics Laboratory who will give a seminar on their research area.
Robotics research method lectures. A series of lectures on the elements of how to do robotics research.
Robotics research group teaching. In-person group activity each week on how to critically analyse robotics research.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students receive formative support through seminars, reading groups and guided discussion.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
There will be two assessments completed on an individual basis:
Assessment 1 (50%) A portfolio of written summaries communicating a critical evaluation of robotics research. (ILOs 1,3)
Assessment 2 (50%) Project proposal and literature review (ILOs 2,3)
When assessment does not go to plan:
Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EMATM0058).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
