About
Taking BEng (Hons) Robotics to the next level, this MEng course digs deeper into the robotic technologies that are shaping today and tomorrow. Providing an extra year of insight and training, your learning will be informed by robotics research pushing boundaries worldwide led by our very own teaching staff. You’ll build technical and managerial skills that you can put into practice daily, through a final group project that will set your course for success when you graduate.
You will experience learning that meets the highest standard academic requirements set by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). You will draw on unique opportunities to engage in world-class robotics research, and in a variety of activities. You’ll capitalise on the opportunity to take a work placement in your second or third year, putting your robotics skills into action in the real world. You will take the fastest route to Chartered Engineer status.
Have you considered...
Opportunities available...
- A course-specific scholarship scheme is available: for more information, see the 'Fees, costs and funding'Â section, below.
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Excellence schemes: we
may make you a personalised offer if you are a strong candidate
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visit our webpage for details.
- Year 1
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In your first year you'll learn through doing, developing your knowledge and practical problem solving skills in our dedicated robotics and communications laboratories. From analogue and digital electronics to engineering mathematics, you'll build up the essential foundations of robotics. Group project work will also help you develop your communication skills and you'll learn structured design procedures for hardware and software all brought together in an integrating robotics project.
Core modules
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This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking an industrial placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed to assist students in their search for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.
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This module provides an overview of analogue circuit characterisation, analysis and design, linking theory to practice. It will examine how common analogue systems are constructed from elementary components.
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This is a foundation module in digital electronics and computer control, which introduces digital devices and provides a background in the principles, design and applications of combinational and sequential logic circuits.
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This module develops skills in elementary programming through the use of high-level programming languages and the use of the flowcharts to develop algorithms. The module has a strong practical bias where students are required to solve various problems by programming existing microcontroller hardware.
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This module gives an introduction to the electrical properties of materials, capacitance, Inductance, and electromagnetism. Basic circuit principles and their application in dc and ac circuit analysis are then applied to electrical machines, transformers and energy conversion.
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The module provides students with a number of fundamental mathematical skills and techniques which are essential for the analysis of engineering problems.
Optional modules
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This module will introduce the students to practical skills needed to design and build an electronic system. A number of hands-on tutorials on specific topics will provide the necessary knowledge. Most of the module will be organized around practical design-and-build exercises combining analogue, digital and software.
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This module will introduce the students to practical skills needed to design and build a small robot. A number of hands-on tutorials on specific topics will provide the necessary knowledge. Most of the module will be organized around practical design-and-build exercises framed in the context of a robot competition.
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- Year 2
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Throughout your second year, you'll develop a greater understanding of underlying engineering principles and circuit design methods. Again there's an emphasis on team-work, with the opportunity to do both group and individual presentations of your projects. You'll use industrial standard software tools for design and simulation, data monitoring and control, all valuable preparation for your final year individual project or for a placement year.
Core modules
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This module is aimed at students who may be undertaking an industrial placement in the third year of their programme. It is designed build on the Level 1 module (BPIE111) and to assist students in their search for a placement and in their preparation for the placement itself.
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This module introduces the architecture of an embedded system and the engineering process to design, implement, program and validate them. Students will interface analogue and digital peripherals to microcontroller and FPGA devices, develop programming techniques to solve various real-time problems and perform testing.
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The module enables students to build robust and scalable solutions to real-world problems using both Microcontroller and FPGA technologies. This will include both hardware and firmware development skills.
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This module provides an introduction to mathematical and statistical methods that are important in the study of electronic and communications engineering. The mathematical techniques (transforms) are central to the study of linear, time-invariant systems. As well as introducing descriptive statistics, basic probability distributions, the module also considers the more advanced topics of reliability and quality control.
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Module starts with modelling of electrical and mechanical systems using differential equations. Transfer functions, PID control design and state space models are then introduced. This leads to the design of state feedback controllers, observers and optimal controllers. Practical work involves Matlab simulations and culminates in the control of real physical systems using microcontrollers.
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A systems level study of the principles and design requirements of modern electronic motor systems. Operating performances of various electrical machines are characterised in four quadrants and the requirements of the corresponding power electronic converter topologies are examined. Control strategies are investigated in terms of drive system performance.
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This module covers the theory and implementation of robotics, for both physical and simulated robots. Industry standard robot kinematics and simulations are used to analyse different robot designs, and are practically experienced through commercial tools. The basic mechanical principles for building physical robots are also covered, as well as the algorithms required for planning and generating movement.
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- Optional placement year
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Your optional work placement experience gives opportunities to put theory into practice, grow your understanding of robotics in the real world and showcase your growing expertise. We can help you find industrial placement opportunities in the UK, France, Germany or even Japan. Placements will complement your studies with on-the-ground experience and could lead to final year sponsorship. Many of our graduates are offered permanent jobs with their placement company.
Core modules
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A 48-week period of professional training spent as the third year of a sandwich programme undertaking an approved placement with a suitable company. This provides an opportunity for the student to gain relevant industrial experience to consolidate the first two stages of study and to prepare for the final stage and employment after graduation.
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- Year 4
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This is when your skills, expertise and know how come into their own. Through your individual project you'll consolidate your knowledge, explore and evaluate new technologies and showcase your potential. You'll demonstrate your communication skills in an oral and written presentation of your project. Refining the independent learning skills you've developed throughout the course, you'll build a proactive, imaginative and dynamic approach to learning, vital for your future robotics career.
Core modules
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Providing an advanced knowledge of artificial vision systems for interactive systems guidance and control, this module is underpinned by current theoretical understanding of animal vision systems.
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The module aims to develop programming skills in embedded programming, by making use of advanced features of high-level programming languages and by deepening the knowledge of modern programming techniques in embedded systems. The module has a strong practical bias where students are required to solve various problems by programming existing microcontroller hardware.
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The project presents the student with a design, experimental or investigative problem which relates the theoretical studies to a practical application. The project objectives will be based on problems originating from industry, commerce and current research programs. Students will also create a business plan in conjunction with their projects.
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This module examines the technology, control and modelling of mobile and humanoid robot systems. Mathematical analysis and computational algorithms underpin practical considerations and case studies.
Optional modules
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This module introduces machine learning, covering unsupervised, supervised and reinforcement learning from Bayesian, Information Theoretic and decision making perspectives. This includes theory behind a range of learning techniques and how to apply these to build representations of data in systems that make decisions and predictions.
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A circuit and system design module covering analogue and high frequency techniques and their place in modern communications systems.
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- Final year
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The MEng includes additional technical modules and a large interdisciplinary design project. There is also the possibility of continuing your studies to MSc level in the same academic year.
Core modules
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This module introduces the research activities of the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS). It is taught by CRNS members who lead thematic workshops on their own areas of expertise, such as swarm robotics, cognitive robotics, Human-Robot Interaction, and bio-inspired cognitive architectures. The module also covers scientific research methods and data analysis.
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This group project involves an in-depth study of a complex real-world problem originating from industry, commerce or research. It could include theoretical, computational and experimental work in addition to a critical literature survey and also involves the design and build of a prototype to support the claims made in the project execution plan.
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This module focuses on both theoretical principles and practical methodologies of robotic perception, mapping and navigation aiming at providing ground vehicles with multiple degrees of autonomy. In addition, advanced technologies from statistics, vision and machine learning will be analysed. The module will then focus on the implementation of these technologies on real platforms to close the perceive-reason-act loop.
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In this module, students will develop applications involving interconnected hardware devices and software capabilities. Devices include both embedded and networked computers. Capabilities include sensor data acquisition, actuator control, and behaviour generation. The module will cover both theory and practical work, including management of code complexity, and dealing with real-time and reliability issues.
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Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.
The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:
The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.