Rate My Professor Robert Richardson

Professor Robert Richardson is the Professor of Robotics in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, where he holds the positions of Director of the Institute of Design, Robotics and Optimisation and Director of the Leeds EPSRC National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems. This £4.3 million world-class facility, initiated in August 2013, supports the design and creation of advanced robotic systems. A Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Richardson obtained his BEng from the University of Leeds in 1997 and his PhD from the same institution in 2001. His academic career includes a Lectureship in Robotics in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester starting in 2003, before returning to Leeds in 2008 and being appointed Professor in 2015.

Richardson's research specializations encompass exploration robotics for safety and security applications, such as accessing confined spaces to rescue trapped victims, gather intelligence on threats, and inspect inaccessible industrial sites using enhanced sensing and networking technologies. He also develops surgical technologies to enable less invasive procedures, shorten recovery times, and minimize scarring, alongside rehabilitation and prosthetic devices aimed at improving quality of life through innovative subsystems. Key achievements include leading a prestigious robotic exploration of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt, which uncovered writings hidden for thousands of years and was ranked among New Scientist's top ten scientific discoveries of 2011. In 2008, his team developed air and ground robotic systems that advanced to the final of the UK Ministry of Defence Grand Challenge. Richardson serves as a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Biomechatronics and Biomedical Robotics (Inderscience) and has published in prominent journals including Journal of Field Robotics, Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Control Engineering Practice, Robotica, and IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics. His contributions have been highlighted in major outlets such as New Scientist and Popular Science, with global television coverage on Discovery Channel, BBC News, and others.