Dr Feras Dayoub

PhD in Robotics and Computer Vision (University of Lincoln, Lincoln)

I am a Senior Lecturer and a Chief Investigator with QUT Centre for Robotics (QCR), where I co-lead the visual learning and understanding program. I served as a Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision (concluded in 2020). My research focuses on enabling the reliable deployment of computer vision and machine learning on mobile robots in real-world environments. I have extensive experience in applied robotic vision research resulting from my work on exciting projects such as AGRobotic detection of weed in farms using deep learning, vision-enabled autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to protect the Great Barrier Reef from Crown-of-Thorns Starfish and vision-based infrastructure inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). I am also a lecturer in advanced robotics topics for undergraduate, where I teach Bayesian approaches to robot localisation, mapping, and Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM).

Academic Career

• 2019-present Senior Lecturer – Science and Engineering Faculty, QUT.
  • During this period I was a CI on the following projects:
    • Novel autonomous robotic weed control (CRC-P project)
    • Robotic Crop Management for Vertical Farming Systems (QUT CAB)
  • 2020-present Chief Investigator – QUT Centre for Robotics.
    • Lead – Visual learning and understanding program
    • Portfolio Lead – Early to Mid-career cohort
  • 2019-present Associate Investigator – QUT Centre for Data Science. 
  • 2019-2020 Chief Investigator – The ARC Australian Center for Robotics Vision (ACRV), QUT.
    • Deputy project leader – Robotics Vision Evaluation and Benchmarking (ACRV project).
    • Deputy program leader – Robot Learning Program (ACRV research program).
• 2019 Associate Investigator – The ARC Australian Center for Robotics Vision (ACRV), QUT.
• 2016-2019 Research Fellow – The ARC Australian Center for Robotics Vision (ACRV), QUT.
• 2012-2016 Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Science and Engineering Faculty, QUT.
  • During my role as a research fellow in QUT I worked on the following projects:
    • Autonomous Unsupervised Weed Scouting – Primary project supervisor.
    • Semi-automated power pole inspection (CRC-SI project) – Research Fellow.
    • RangerBot, a low-cost AUV – Research fellow.
    • Human Cues for Robot Navigation (ARC DP project) – Research fellow – PhD thesis supervisor.
    • Crown-of-thorns starfish bot (COTSBot) – Perception lead.
    • QUT Agricultural Robotics Program – Research fellow – PhD thesis supervisor.
    • Lifelong robotic navigation (ARC DP project) – Research fellow – PhD thesis supervisor.
• 2009-2012 Tutor at the University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK

Awards and Award Finalist

2020    Australian Centre for Robotic Vision award for best-profile raising event in robotics and CV communities.

2019    Australian Centre for Robotic Vision award for Best Team Project.

2019    Australian Centre for Robotic Vision award for Best Centre Citizen.

2019    Certificate of appreciation in recognition of outstanding contribution to the 2019 QUT STEM Camp.

2018    Australian Centre for Robotic Vision award for best-profile raising event in robotics and CV communities.

2017    Finalist for Best Automation Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

2016    Google X challenge, Popular vote award, RangerBot project.

2016    Finalist for the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, Environmental Research.

2016    Award for being a Magnet for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science QUT.

2015    Vice-chancellor’s Award, Queensland University of Technology.

Projects (Chief investigator)

• Eliminating invasive reef species - COTSbot and RangerBot

Additional information