From learning robotics to presenting it: ARCSA students visit AIML
On Friday 4 September 2026, ARCSA students visited the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) at Adelaide University for a day of research conversations, live robotics demonstrations and an opportunity to present their own ROS projects.
The visit brought together two perspectives: seeing what researchers are working towards, and sharing the work our students are already doing.
Meeting the people behind the research
We began with PhD students Sarah Dickinson, Madeleine Cochrane and Irhas Muhammad Gill, who spoke about their pathways into research and the questions they are investigating. Their talks covered areas including computer vision applied to space imagery, simulation and breath analysis.
Hearing about both their research and their personal journeys gave our students a broader picture of where an interest in computing, robotics and artificial intelligence can lead. It also offered a valuable chance to meet the people behind the projects and ask questions about life as a researcher.
Robotics in action
Next, we moved into the robotics lab, where PhD students Zerui Li and Xiangyu Shi demonstrated a humanoid robot and a quadruped robot. Students watched the robots use depth cameras and navigate to designated positions in the room.
Seeing these systems operating at close range made the relationship between sensing and movement tangible. A robot needs information about the space around it to move through that space successfully. In the lab, students could see those ideas taking physical form.
Why simulation matters
Back in the atrium presentation area, Associate Professor Qi Wu introduced his robotics research and the use of ROS at AIML, with opportunities for students to ask questions.
A key theme was the importance of simulation in training robots. His emphasis on simulation connected directly with the students’ own robotics learning, placing their experience within a wider research context.
For students working with ROS, the Robot Operating System, it was an opportunity to see how the tools and concepts they are learning connect to work in a university research environment.
Our students take the floor
The final part of the visit belonged to the ARCSA students, who presented and demonstrated their own ROS projects.
With code displayed on the large screen and robots operating in the portable arena, students shared their work with the AIML team. The demonstrations led to discussion and feedback, particularly from Associate Professor Feras Dayoub.
This was an especially proud moment for ARCSA. Presenting a project involves more than getting a robot to move: it means explaining your approach, demonstrating what you have built and discussing it with others. Having researchers take the time to engage with that work made the experience particularly valuable.
Connecting learning with possibility
The visit brought classroom learning into direct contact with robotics research. Students heard about pathways into the field, saw research robots in action, explored the role of simulation and contributed their own projects to the conversation.
Our sincere thanks to Sarah Dickinson, Madeleine Cochrane, Irhas Muhammad Gill, Zerui Li, Xiangyu Shi, Associate Professor Qi Wu and Associate Professor Feras Dayoub for generously sharing their time and expertise.
A special thank you goes to Hilary Brookes, Executive Officer (Events, Culture and Engagement), whose excellent organisation brought the visit together and helped make it such a success.
And to our ARCSA students: well done for bringing your work, your questions and your curiosity into the room. Seeing you present your projects and discuss them with the AIML team was a wonderful way to finish a successful excursion.
