Flexible robotic tools

This is one of several fully-funded PhD studentships available within the College of Arts, Technology and Environment (CATE) at UWE Bristol.

Although many doctoral projects are being advertised across the College, CATE will only fund up to eight studentships in total. Projects selected for funding will be determined based on applicant merit through the selection process outlined below.

This PhD investigates how robots can learn flexible tool-use skills by integrating vision, touch, and language within a single framework that links high-level reasoning to real physical interaction. Whereas most robotic systems rely on narrow, pre‑defined affordances, this project aims to enable robots to recognise tool functionality, adapt manipulation strategies when tools or materials change, and transfer skills across contexts.

The research progresses through three stages. First, the student will develop models that learn representations of tool function from visual scenes and natural‑language instructions without relying on manual affordance labels. Second, these representations will be grounded in real‑world interaction using a robotic manipulator equipped with high‑resolution tactile sensing, allowing visual and tactile feedback to guide grasping and manipulation. Third, the work will incorporate human demonstrations to study how robots can refine and transfer tool‑use skills rather than relearn them from scratch.

The project will deliver a practical and adaptable framework for robotic tool use, along with datasets and experiments that clarify how visual, tactile, and linguistic information contribute to manipulation. It aligns with BRL’s strengths in embodied robotics and supports UWE Bristol’s strategic priorities in applied, impactful research while offering strong publication and funding potential.

The studentship is available from 1 October 2026 for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and includes a tax-exempt stipend, which is currently £20,780 (2025/26) per annum.

In addition, full-time tuition fees will be covered for up to three years.

Please submit your application online. When prompted use the reference number 2627-OCT-CATE11. 

Application deadline

The closing date for applications is 12 June 2026.

Apply now

Applicants shortlisted for this project will be invited to interview with a panel comprising members of the supervisory team and the School’s Postgraduate Research (PGR) Lead and/or a senior researcher from the School or College. Successful candidates will be offered a studentship following interview.

Supporting documentation

You will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and a recognised English language qualification is required.

You will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application.

Interview dates

It is expected that interviews will take place in early June. If you have not heard from us by July, we thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.

Candidates who meet the entry requirements for doctoral study at UWE Bristol but are not awarded one of the funded studentships may be offered the opportunity to take-up a self funded PhD place.