Edmund R Hunt

Dr. Edmund R Hunt is a Senior Lecturer in Robotics at the University of Bristol, working within the School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology and the Department of Engineering Mathematics. Since 2021, he has held a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship. His research group, the Hunt Lab, focuses on deploying robot swarms into real-world environments for practical applications, particularly in environmental monitoring.

Education:

• PhD in Complexity Sciences (2012-2016), University of Bristol
• MPhil in Economics (2007-2009), University of Oxford
• BSc in Physics with Theoretical Physics (2004-2007), Imperial College London

Dr. Hunt's research bridges collective animal behavior and swarm robotics, developing bioinspired approaches for real-world robot deployments. His work emphasizes smaller-scale swarms (4-10 robots) using sophisticated ROS-based systems that can navigate complex environments. Key research themes include multi-robot patrolling, trust in human-robot teams, behavioral plasticity in swarms, and environmental monitoring applications. His group conducts experiments both indoors on campus and in outdoor locations including Bristol's harbourside and Fenswood Farm.

Analysis of Dr. Hunt's recent publications reveals a strong focus on practical swarm robotics applications, particularly in environmental monitoring and security. His work increasingly integrates human-robot teaming concepts, trust modeling, and bioinspired algorithms. The research shows progression from theoretical swarm concepts toward field-deployable systems with real-world applications in atmospheric measurement, biodiversity monitoring, and security patrolling.

Scientific Awards:

• British Science Festival 2021 Award Lecture Winner for Digital Innovation
• 3rd Place in EPSRC Photography Competition 2018
• EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow (2017)
• UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2021)
• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow (2021-2026)

Dr. Hunt actively supervises multiple PhD students working on diverse aspects of swarm robotics, including multi-robot patrolling, atmospheric electricity measurement, and behavioral plasticity. His current research is supported by significant grants including the £1.2M EPSRC-funded 'Satisficing Trust in Human-Robot Teams' project (2023-2026) and the T-B PHASE Prosperity Partnership with Thales. He previously held research fellowships from EPSRC and UK Intelligence Community funding.

The Hunt Lab operates across multiple Bristol facilities including the Bristol Robotics Laboratory on UWE campus, field testing at Fenswood Farm in Long Ashton, and day-to-day operations on the Clifton campus. The lab works with various robot platforms including Leo Rovers for field experiments and has previously used Kilobots for conceptual swarm research. Current projects explore heterogeneous swarms incorporating different robot types for specialized environmental monitoring tasks.