Jonathan Roberts

Jonathan Roberts is a Professor in Robotics at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), affiliated with the School of Electrical Engineering & Robotics within the Faculty of Engineering. He serves as Director of the Australian Cobotics Centre and Technical Director of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM Hub). His research focuses on Field Robotics, Medical Robotics, Performance Robotics, and Cobots. Roberts holds a PhD in Aerospace Systems Engineering from the University of Southampton (UK) and has extensive industry experience, including leading robotics projects at CSIRO. He co-invented the UAV Challenge Outback Rescue and pioneered the Museum Robot Project, earning awards such as the 2013 Australia and New Zealand Internet Award for Innovation. His work spans autonomous systems, surgical robotics, and cultural heritage mapping, with notable contributions to 3D mapping technologies like the Zebedee system. Roberts is an active editor for robotics journals and contributes to policy discussions on advanced manufacturing and robotics strategy.

**Education**: PhD (University of Southampton, 1994), Honours in Aerospace Systems Engineering (1991). **Key Projects**: Australian Cobotics Centre, ARM Hub, UAV Challenge, Museum Robot Project, 3D mapping of heritage sites. **Awards**: Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (2017), BBC International News features (2014–2016). **Grants & Roles**: Chief Investigator at QUT Centre for Robotics, Deputy Research Director of Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (2008–2013). **Labs/Teams**: QUT Centre for Robotics, collaborations with The University of Queensland and CSIRO. His research bridges robotics with healthcare, manufacturing, and cultural preservation, emphasizing human-robot collaboration and innovation.