Successful PRF Projects Announced

We are delighted to release details of nine new projects which will be funded by the ORCA Hub Partnership Resource Fund.

This summer's Call for Proposals received a large number of high-quality applications which were independently reviewed by the ORCA International Scientific Advisory Panel (ISAP).

Nine new projects have now been awarded which will bring an additional eight institutions into the Hub, as well as expertise from 14 new Co-Investigators. The new projects will also create an additional 21 research associate posts across the UK.

The successful PRF projects will comprise the following UK institutions:

The PRF projects are comprised of these institutions.

The PRF enables the Hub to expand its current work into new areas with a clearly identified industrial need. Participating researchers will benefit from the strong interactions established within the Hub as well as the multidisciplinary aspect of the expertise represented in the current themes.

"We are delighted to welcome so many new members to the Hub. The new institutes will further expand the expertise of ORCA, taking the current network to over 100 researchers. These collaborations will help us in delivering future robotic solutions for the offshore industry through applied research and technology development”.

Dr. Lindsay Wilson, ORCA Hub Manager

The nine PRF projects are:

Project Name: HUDSON – Harvesting of Underwater Data from SensOr Networks

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr Catherine Harris, National Oceanography Centre

Partner Institutions: University of Oxford, Heriot-Watt University, Newcastle University

Project Name: ROBMAN: Robust Robotic Manipulation of Physical Structures Under Water

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr. Mustafa Suphi Erden, Heriot-Watt University

Partner Institutions: Glasgow Caledonian University

Project Name: Multi-Sensory Robot Skin to Monitor Water Quality in Harsh Environments (MUSES)

Lead Investigator & Institution: Prof. Ravinder Dahiya, University of Glasgow

Partner Institutions: Heriot-Watt University

Project Name: Rigorous Graphical Explainable AI for Higher-Risk Applications

Lead Investigator & Institution: Prof. Mike Chantler, Heriot-Watt University

Partner Institutions: Edinburgh Napier University

Project Name: Swift, Reactive Aerial & Ground Inspection of Industrial Facilities (SWIFT)

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr. Maurice Fallon, University of Oxford

Partner Institutions: Imperial College London

Project Name: Towards the Accountable and Explainable Learning-enabled Autonomous Robotic Systems (AELARS)

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr. Wenjie Ruan, Lancaster University

Partner Institutions: University of Liverpool

Project Name: COVE: Continual Verification and Assurance of Robotic Systems under Uncertainty

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr. Radu Calinescu, University of York

Partner Institutions: Heriot-Watt University

Project Name: Mixed-Reality Enhanced Telepresence for Remote Inspection and Monitoring with Multiple Aerial Robots

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr Hai-Nguyen (Hann) Nguyen and Dr. Mirko Kovac, Imperial College London

Partner Institutions: University College London

Project Name: High-speed Under-water Communication with Advanced Modulation and Signal Processing Technology

Lead Investigator & Institution: Dr. Xu Wang, Heriot-Watt University

For additional details about each of the projects please visit the PRF home page.

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