Papers
9
Total Citations
163
H-Index
8
About
Ian Kelly is a pioneering roboticist whose work bridges multi-robot coordination, bio-inspired design, and autonomous systems operating in natural environments. His research is defined by two major threads: developing scalable communication and learning systems for robot teams, and creating the first truly autonomous robotic predator. In his foundational work on multi-robot systems, Kelly introduced an infrared localisation and communication system (27 citations) enabling robots to share experiences and learn faster—demonstrating that cooperative learning could dramatically improve obstacle avoidance and control. His most visionary contribution, however, is the SlugBot project (over 80 combined citations), a robotic predator designed to hunt slugs on agricultural land and power itself using a microbial fuel cell. This work represents a landmark in artificial autonomy, showing that robots could sustain themselves by exploiting natural energy sources. Kelly’s research has been cited more than 160 times, influencing fields from swarm robotics to ecological engineering. His work on the SlugBot, in particular, remains a touchstone for researchers exploring long-duration autonomy and robot-environment interaction, earning him recognition as a pioneer of biologically inspired, self-sustaining robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Coordination of multiple mobile robots via communication25 citations · 1999
- 3SlugBot: A Robotic Predator in the Natural World23 citations · 2001
- 4The design of a robotic predator: The SlugBot21 citations · 2003
- 5
- 6Towards robot autonomy in the natural world: a robot in predator's clothing18 citations · 2002
- 7SlugBot: A Robot Predator14 citations · 2001
- 8Artificial Autonomy in the Natural World: Building a Robot Predator11 citations · 1999
- 9