P.J. Probert

About

P.J. Probert is a prominent robotics researcher whose career has been defined by foundational contributions to mobile robot navigation, sensor systems, and autonomous vehicle control, much of this work emerging from the influential Oxford University Robotics Research Group. His research spans several interconnected areas, including sensor-based range finding, obstacle avoidance, path planning, and intelligent control under uncertainty. Among his most significant contributions is his rigorous analysis of amplitude-modulated continuous wave (AMCW) light detection sensors, demonstrating how phase and intensity data can be interpreted for reliable ranging in robotic systems — a paper that has garnered 53 citations. His involvement in the Oxford AGV Project, documented in a widely referenced 1994 volume with 33 citations, helped shape automated guided vehicle research with real-world industrial applications. Probert has also advanced probabilistic and decision-theoretic approaches to navigation among moving obstacles, and pioneered novel genetic algorithm techniques for evolving fuzzy controllers. Collectively accumulating over 260 citations, his body of work reflects a career dedicated to making autonomous mobile robots more reliable, perceptive, and adaptable. His research remains valuable reading for students seeking rigorous, practical foundations in robotic sensing and autonomous systems design.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   The Interpretation of Phase and Intensity Data from AMCW Light Detection Sensors for Reliable Ranging

   53 citations · 1996
2. 2
   Advanced Guided Vehicles: Aspects of the Oxford Agv Project

   33 citations · 1994
3. 3
   Range finding and feature extraction by segmentation of images for mobile robot navigation

   32 citations · 2002
4. 4
   Towards a real-time architecture for obstacle avoidance and path planning in mobile robots

   29 citations · 2002
5. 5
   Coping with uncertainty in control and planning for a mobile robot

   25 citations · 2002
6. 6
   Sensor-based control of AGVs

   24 citations · 1990
7. 7
   New techniques for genetic development of a class of fuzzy controllers

   21 citations · 1998
8. 8
   Navigation and control of a mobile robot among moving obstacles

   21 citations · 2002
9. 9
   Active Triangulation Rangefinder Design For Mobile Robots

   16 citations · 2005
10. 10
    Perception of an indoor robot workspace by using CTFM sonar imaging

    15 citations · 2002

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links