Dr Matthias Rolf

PhD (Dr.-Eng.), MSc, PGCHE

Reader in Computer Science

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Role

I am the First Year Tutor as well as the Postgraduate Research Tutor for Computing. I am teaching and researching in AI, machine learning, and data analytics.

Areas of expertise

Robotics
Machine learning
Multi-objective reinforcement learning
Software engineering
Developmental robotics
Smart visitor management

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

COMP4035 Computer Science Applications
COMP6033 Applications and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
COMP7040 Autonomous Intelligent Systems

Supervision

I am the postgraduate research tutor for Computing. I welcome any enquiries from people considering doing a PhD or Master by Research in the area of computing.

I am interested in supervising BSc and MSc projects in the areas of reinforcement learning, ethical AI, robotics, autonomous systems, and smart visitor management.

Research

Smart Visitor Management

Current collaboration with Blenheim Palace and Oxford Brookes Business School
Oxford Brookes University expertise in AI helps Blenheim Palace
The Brookes Blenheim collaboration

Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning

Al-Husaini Y, Rolf, M (2022). ‘Getting Priorities Right: Intrinsic Motivation with Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning’
Rolf M (2020). 'The Need for MORE: Need Systems as Non-Linear Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning'

Ethical AI

Rolf M, Crook NT, Steil JJ (2018). 'From social interaction to ethical AI: a developmental roadmap'
Rolf M, Crook NT (2016). 'What if: robots create novel goals? Ethics based on social value systems'

Robotics

Gama F, Shcherban M, Rolf M, Hoffmann M (2020). 'Active exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot with artificial skin'
Baker T, Rolf M (2020). 'Tactile feedback in a tele-operation pick-and-place task improves perceived workload'

Research Students

Yusuf Al-Husaini

Aduen Benjumea Diepa

Madhusha Mendis

Past Research Students

Rebecca Raper: PhD 2023. “Raising robots to be good. A practical interpretation, framework, and methodology for developing moral machines”

Mohamed Idries: PhD 2022. “Navigational algorithms evaluation and benchmarking”

Jamie Pierce: MSc by Research 2020. “Investigating how the morphology of a robot arm affects the learnability of aimed throwing”

Tom Baker: MSc by Research 2020. “An experimental investigation of sensory feedback methods within teleoperation robotic systems”

Rob Hillman: MSc by Research 2019. “Benchmarking virtual reality control methods”

Centres and institutes

Groups

Publications

Gama F, Shcherban M, Rolf M, Hoffmann M, Goal-directed tactile exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot
IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems 15 (2) (2021) pp.419-433 ISSN: 2379-8920 eISSN: 2379-8939 Goal-directed tactile exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot Open Access version on RADAR
Crook N, Nugent S, Rolf M, Baimel A, Raper R, Computing morality: Synthetic ethical decision making and behaviour
Cognitive Computation and Systems 3 (2) (2021) pp.79-82 ISSN: 2517-7567 eISSN: 2517-7567
Rolf M, Neumann K, Quei{ß}er J, Reinhart R, Nordmann A, Steil JJ, A multi-level control architecture for the bionic handling assistant
Advanced Robotics 29 (13) (2015) pp.847-859 ISSN: 0169-1864
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Efficient exploratory learning of inverse kinematics on a bionic elephant trunk
IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems 25 (6) (2014) pp.1147-1160 ISSN: 2162-237X
Miyazaki M, Takahashi H, Rolf M, Okada H, Omori T, The image-scratch paradigm: a new paradigm for evaluating infants' motivated gaze control
Scientific Reports 4 (2014) ISSN: 2045-2322
Rolf M, Asada M, Where do goals come from? A generic approach to autonomous goal-system development
arXiv (2014) ISSN: 2331-8422
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Explorative learning of inverse models: a theoretical perspective
Neurocomputing 131 (2013) pp.2-14 ISSN: 0925-2312
Neumann K, Rolf M, Steil JJ, Reliable Integration of Continuous Constraints into Extreme Learning Machines
International Journal of Uncertainty, Fuzziness and Knowledge-Based Systems (2013)
Rolf M, Hanheide M, Rohlfing KJ, Attention via synchrony: Making use of multimodal cues in social learning
IEEE Transactions on Autonomous Mental Development 1 (1) (2009) pp.55-67 ISSN: 1943-0604

Al-Husaini Y, Rolf M, Getting Priorities Right: Intrinsic Motivation with Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning
(2022) Getting Priorities Right: Intrinsic Motivation with Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning Open Access version on RADAR
Al-Husaini Y, Rolf M, Priority-Objective Reinforcement Learning
(2021) Priority-Objective Reinforcement Learning Open Access version on RADAR
Gama F, Shcherban M, Rolf M, Hoffmann M, Active exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot with artificial skin
(2020) ISBN: 978-1-7281-7306-1
Vaswani Bhavnani C, Rolf M, Attitudes towards a handheld robot that learns Proxemics
(2020) ISBN: 978-1-7281-7306-1
Rolf M, The Need for MORE: Need Systems as Non-Linear Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning
(2020) ISBN: 978-1-7281-7306-1
Baker T, Rolf M, Tactile feedback in a tele-operation pick-and-place task improves perceived workload
(2020) pp.261-273 ISBN: 9783030634858 eISBN: 9783030634865 Tactile feedback in a tele-operation pick-and-place task improves perceived workload Open Access version on RADAR
Idries MO, Rolf M, olde Scheper TV, Exploration: Do We Need a Map?
(2019)
Rolf M, Crook N, Steil J, From Social Interaction to Ethical AI: A Developmental Roadmap
(2018) eISSN: 2161-9484 From Social Interaction to Ethical AI: A Developmental Roadmap Open Access version on RADAR
Barker S, Izadi H, Crook NT, Hayatleh K, Rolf M, Hughes P, Fellows N, Natural head movement for HRI with a muscular-skeletal head and neck robot
(2017) pp.587-592 eISSN: 1944-9437 ISBN: 9781538635186 Natural head movement for HRI with a muscular-skeletal head and neck robot Open Access version on RADAR
Rolf M, Crook NT, What if: robots create novel goals? Ethics based on social value systems
1668 (2016) pp.20-25 What if: robots create novel goals? Ethics based on social value systems Open Access version on RADAR
Rolf M, Asada M, Latent Goal Analysis for Dimension Reduction in Reinforcement Learning
(2015) pp.26-30
Rolf M, Asada M, What are goals? And if so, how many?
(2015) ISBN: 978-1-4673-9320-1/15
Queisser JF, Neumann K, Rolf M, Reinhart RF, Steil JJ, An active compliant control mode for interaction with a pneumatic soft robot
(2014) pp.573-579

Rolf M, Asada M, Autonomous development of goals: From generic rewards to goal and self detection,
(2014)
Rolf M, Asada M, Latent Goal Analysis: Learning goals and body schema from generic rewards,
(2014)
Rolf M, Asada M, Visual Attention by Audiovisual Signal-Level Synchrony,
(2014)
Schillingmann L, Rolf M, Kumagaya S, Ayaya S, Nagai Y, Assistance for Autistic People by Segmenting and Highlighting Cross-Modal Perceptual Information,
(2013)
Rolf M, Goal babbling with unknown ranges: A direction-sampling approach,
(2013)
Rolf M, Asada M, Learning Inverse Models in High Dimensions with Goal Babbling and Reward-Weighted Averaging,
(2013)
Reinhart RF, Rolf M, Learning versatile sensorimotor coordination with goal babbling and neural associative dynamics,
(2013)
Rolf M, Asada M, Motor synergies are naturally observed during goal babbling,
(2013)
Rolf M, Gienger M, Steil JJ, Robot control with bootstrapping inverse kinematics,
(2013)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Constant curvature continuum kinematics as fast approximate model for the Bionic Handling Assistant,
(2012)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Explorative learning of right inverse functions: theoretical implications of redundancy,
(2012)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Goal Babbling: a New Concept for Early Sensorimotor Exploration,
(2012)
Rolf M, Goal babbling for an efficient bootstrapping of inverse models in high dimensions,
(2012)
Nordmann A, Rolf M, Wrede S, Software Abstractions for Simulation and Control of a Continuum Robot,
(2012)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Online goal babbling for rapid bootstrapping of inverse models in high dimensions,
(2011)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Online learning in the loop: fast explorative learning of inverse models in high dimensions,
(2011)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Bootstrapping inverse kinematics with Goal Babbling,
(2010)
Ajallooeian M, Gay S, Ijspeert A, Khansari-Zadeh M, Kim S, Billard A, Rückert E, Neumann G, Waegeman T, Schrauwen B, others, Comparative evaluation of approaches in T. 4.1-4.3 and working definition of adaptive module,
(2010)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Learning flexible full body kinematics for humanoid tool use,
(2010)
Neumann K, Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Learning inverse kinematics for pose-constraint bi-manual movements,
(2010)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Mastering Growth while Bootstrapping Sensorimotor Coordination,
(2010)
Rolf M, Hanheide M, Rohlfing K, Attention Manipulation with Multimodal Synchrony,
(2009)
Rolf M, Steil JJ, Gienger M, Efficient exploration and learning of whole body kinematics,
(2009)
Rolf M, Hanheide M, Rohlfing KJ, The use of synchrony in parent-child interaction can be measured on a signal-level,
(2009)
Rolf M, Audiovisual attention via Synchrony,
(2008)

Further details

Press, publicity and reviews

Ulrich Eberl, 2016: Smarte Maschinen: Wie Künstliche Intelligenz unser Leben verändert
Technology Review, 2015: Das Kind im Roboter - Eingebaute Kindheit macht Maschinen schlauer
New Scientist, 2014: Robot elephant trunk learns motor skills like a baby
BI.Research, 2013: Robotern das Lernen beibringen
IEEE Spectrum Video Friday, 2012: Curiosity Learns to Scoop, Robot Tentacle Learns to Grab, iCub Learns About Rolling