Entitled SLAM for 3D Map Building to be used in a Matching Localization Algorithm, the dissertation was written by Miguel Pinto, a researcher at INESC TEC and PhD student at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).

Defended on 18 January as part of his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, this dissertation was considered the one with the highest technical and scientific quality.

According to Miguel Pinto, his work object – a robot called "RobVigil" – was designed to "monitor public spaces autonomously, with the lowest human intervention possible ". The robot is capable, for instance, "of detecting eminent fires or gas leaks", the researcher stated in an interview with JPN.

This is a multidisciplinary project that involved other parties. Miguel Pinto did not develop the robot, but he did solve a crucial problem, which was "giving the robot the ability to locate itself in an environment". Therefore, his main task was to develop "localisation and mapping components for the robot", an important module for the project to succeed.

After three years working on his dissertation, the INESC TEC researcher is "proud" of the fact that this dissertation was considered the best in the area, and so it was "recognition of my work ", Miguel Pinto stressed.

The "RobVigil" is one of the first "intelligent" surveillance robots, and it is a result of a worldwide pioneer consortium involving the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto and INESC TEC.

The best robotics dissertation

This award is given by the Portuguese Robotics Society to the best PhD dissertation on robotics, and its purpose is to encourage and disseminate innovative and accurate research.

JPN, 1 June 2013