Projects per year
Overview
Profile summary
Dr Amir Aly is a lecturer of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics at the University of Plymouth, and is the Director of the Center for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS) and the Artificial Intelligence programme manager at the UoP. Moreover, he is the founder and director of the SoAIR Laboratory. Dr Aly was awarded his Ph.D. degree in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) from ENSTA ParisTech (Institut Polytechnique de Paris) in France and his MSc degree in Computer Science from the University of Paris-Sorbonne (UPMC). Further, Dr Aly was a postdoctoral research fellow at Ritsumeikan University in Japan, where he led wide research in Cognitive - and Developmental - Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
Dr Aly has a wide activity in the international community of robotics in AI including serving as associate editor (and guest editor) in top journals such as Cognitive Systems Research (CSR) among others, associate editor in top conferences like IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) and IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (Ro-Man) for several years, among others. Over and above, he served on the organization committee of different conferences as a co-chair (e.g., Ro-Man 2022). Last but not least, he was awarded different best paper awards in prestigious venues such as IROS 2015 in Germany, and ICDS 2024 in Spain, and different research grants in the UK and Japan. More information about my research is available at Google Scholar.
Professional memberships
Senior Member of IEEE
Fellow of the British Computer Society (BCS)
Member of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS)
Member of the IEEE Robots and Autonomous Systems Society (RAS)
Member of the IEEE Signal Processing Society
Roles on external bodies
UK and Ireland IEEE Robots and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Chapter Vice Chair
Additional information
* AI Consultant (2023 – Present)
* Some Recent Media Coverage:
- University Press Release [Link]
- Technology Networks [Link]
- Medical News Network [Link]
- The Sun Newspaper [Link]
- ITV West Country [Link]
- Soundart Radio "Experiment" (102.5 FM) [Link]
Additional information
I am passionate about a wide range of topics in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics. I engage in collaborative ventures with companies in developing AI-based speech and language technologies, and in large-scale projects in e-health (e.g., the EPSRC ICONIC project of 1 Million GBP that focuses on developing technologies that depend on AI/VR/Voic/Social Games).
In Robotics, I do wide research in social robotics including adaptive behaviour generation, social navigation, assistive robotics, healthcare, and entertainment, and in cognitive and developmental robotics including nonverbal and multimodal interaction, language and action development, affordance learning, and decision-making under uncertainty.
In Healthcare, I develop AI systems for diagnosing various disorders and diseases, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Dementia, and explore related cognitive and behavioural brain functions. These systems utilise advanced machine learning techniques and multimodal data analysis to enhance diagnostic accuracy and offer insights into underlying neurological processes.
In Marine Biology, I conduct research on monitoring underwater species using AI models that combine computer vision and sound analysis to observe behaviors and track the health of aquatic organisms like fish and dolphins. These models are crucial for understanding ecological dynamics and contributing to conservation efforts by providing real-time data on species interactions and environments.
In a nutshell, my multidisciplinary research lies in the intersection area between Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)/Virtual Reality (VR), robotics, marine biology, cognitive science, computational linguistics, and e-health and healthcare.
Teaching interests
Teaching recognition and qualification:
* Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
* In the UK
- 2025/26 - Present: Human-Robot Interaction (COMP5018) - (MSc AI level)
- 2022/23 - Present: Human-Robot Interaction (COMP3018) - (BSc AI level)
- 2021/22 - Present: Advanced Machine Learning (COMP5008)
- 2020/21 - 2021/22: Software Development Tools and Practices (COMP2005)
- 2021/22: Computing Project (COMP3000)
COMP3018, COMP5018, and COMP5008 are new modules that I created, while COMP2005 is a module that I refreshed. Moreover, I am a moderator for some internal modules taught at the University of Plymouth as well as for a group of international modules taught at Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka campuses.
* In France
I led the following modules:
- Robotics Project, University of Paris XI (Paris-Saclay), Paris
- Introduction to Robotics, AGROSUP, Dijon
- Introduction to Robotics and AI, ENSTA ParisTech, Paris
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Academic qualifications
11 Computing, First Degree, B.Sc. in Automatic Systems and Signal Processing, ENSISA, University of Haute Alsace (UHA)
11 Computing, Doctorate, Ph.D. in Computer Science (Human-Robot Interaction), ENSTA Paris , Institut Polytechnique de Paris
11 Computing, Other higher degree (e.g. Masters degree), M.Sc. in Computer Science (Image and Sound Processing), Sorbonne University (Pierre and Marie Curie – UPMC)
External positions
External advisor for MSc and BSc programmes in AI and Robotics, London Metropolitan University
Mar 2026
PhD Thesis external examiner at Kalasalingam University, India
Jul 2025
External examiner for the MSc AI Programme, London Institute of Banking and Finance
Sept 2023 → …
External examiner for the BSc (Hons) in Informatics and Computer Science, London South Bank University
Sept 2023 → …
Senior Researcher in Robotics and AI, ENSTA Paris , Institut Polytechnique de Paris
2016
Senior Scientist in Cognitive Robotics and AI, Ritsumeikan University
2016 → 2020
Research Interests
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine learning
- Robotics
- Healthcare
- Autism
- Computational Linguistics
- Natural Language Processing
- Vision Technology
- Computer Vision
- Cognitive systems
- Cognitive Development
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Biomarkers for AI-assisted diagnosis of autism in adults: A feasibility study
Aly, A. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Shankar, R. (CoI - Co-Investigator) & Wills, A. (PI - Principal Investigator)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/09/25 → 20/06/26
Project: Research
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Intergenerational co-creation of novel technologies to reconnect digitally excluded people with community & cultural landscapes in coastal economies
Willis, K. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Veliz Reyes, A. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Maudlin, D. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Ifeachor, E. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Gaudl, S. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Aly, A. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Aghaebrahimi Samani, H. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Howell, K. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Asthana, S. (CoI - Co-Investigator), Jones, R. (PI - Principal Investigator) & Zhou, S.-M. (CoI - Co-Investigator)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/11/22 → 30/04/25
Project: Research
Research output
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Designing Inclusive Immersive Experiences: Intergenerational Codesign of Heritage and Underwater Extended Reality for Older Adults
Varga, M. N., Hagen, O., Baxter, R., Veliz Reyes, A., Jones, R. B., Aly, A., Bazazian, D. & Swen, G., 2026, In: International Journal On Advances in Intelligent Systems. 18, 3 and 4, p. 1-12 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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An Efficient NSGA-II-based Algorithm for Multi-Robot Coverage Path Planning
Foster, A., Gianni, M., Aly, A. & Samani, H., 19 May 2025, In: 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference proceedings published in a journal › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure) -
Coastal and Rural Digital Exclusion - The Case for Voice AI
Baxter, R., Hagen, O., Aly, A., Jones, R. & Willis, K., 20 Feb 2025, Proceedings of the 18th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies. Science and Technology Publications, Lda, Vol. 2. p. 734-741 8 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceedings published in a book › peer-review
Open AccessFile11 Downloads (Pure) -
Conversational Systems for Social Care in Older Adults: Protocol for a Scoping Review
Brownson-Smith, R., Ananthakrishnan, A., Hagen, O., Cong, C., Aly, A., Jones, R. B. & Meinert, E., 10 Jul 2025, In: JMIR Research Protocols. 14, e72310.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Cross-Domain Transfer Learning for Domain Adaptation in Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis
Gupta, K., Aly, A. & Ifeachor, E., 11 Jan 2025, p. 53-64.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference paper (not formally published) › peer-review
Open AccessFile39 Downloads (Pure)