People

Group leader

Roel Pieters

Professor
Intelligent Machines and Robotics
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358504478347
roel.pieters@tuni.fi

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6728-304X

About me

I lead the Cognitive Robotics research group. My research interests are in enabling humans and robots to interact and collaborate.

Responsibilities

Co-responsible for TAU's robotics major studies and Robolab Tampere

Research topics

Human-robot collaboration
Cognitive robotics
Foundation models (VLM, LLM) for robotics
Robot design

Research unit

Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering

Research career

I obtained my MSc and PhD in robotics at Eindhoven University of Technology (NL) in 2009 and 2013, respectively. I was a postdoctoral researcher in ETH Zurich (CH) from 2013 to 2016 and in Aalto University (FI) from 2016 to 2017.
Since September 2017 I lead the Cognitive Robotics research group at Tampere University.

Project links

Selected publications

Own links

Cognitive Robotics group

Postdoc

James Fant-Male

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358503003448
james.fant-male@tuni.fi

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3587-7593

More information

About me

Postdoctoral research fellow in the cognitive robotics research group. I work on research projects enabling collaboration between humans and robots through improved perception, intelligence and control.

Research topics

Humans-Robot Collaboration

Robot perception and decision making

AI and machine learning methods

Research unit

Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering

Research career

Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Cognitive Robotics; Tampere University; 2024-Present

Lecturer (Teaching); Electrical Engineering and Robotics; University of Bath; 2022-2024

PhD; Perception, Reasoning and Action Planning for Human-Robot Collaboration using Machine-Learning Methods; University of Bath; 2019-2023

MEng; Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; University of Bath; 2014-2019

Project links

Alexandre Angleraud

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358504310846
alexandre.angleraud@tuni.fi

PhD Students

Rami Ojanen

Doctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
rami.ojanen@tuni.fi

Ossi Parikka

Doctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358505964521
ossi.parikka@tuni.fi

Noora Sassali

Doctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358504738344
noora.sassali@tuni.fi

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9670-1666

Iftekher Hossain

Doctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358504620688
iftekher.hossain@tuni.fi

Quentin Houbre

Doctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358503088343
quentin.houbre@tuni.fi

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1990-8935

More information

About me

I studied cognitive sciences and I'm very curious on how intelligence is emerging and developing among humans and animals.

Responsibilities

Conduct research. Supervising Bachelor and Master Students.

Research topics

Autonomous Robotic Skills Discovery

Research unit

ATME (Cognitive Robotics Group)

Research fields

Developmental Robotics, Cognitive Robotics, Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology.

Project links

Mission statement

The goal is to investigate the learning of new skills based on curiosity. By studying infant's development, it can be possible to design robots that are able to autonomously explore and learn. I am particularly interested on how intrinsic motivation can drive the exploration of new skills as well as how this process can be self-organized and continuous. Overall, I take inspiration from Neurosciences and Developmental Psychology to design cognitive systems.

Additionally, I worked for the european project ODIN by developing a modular approach for safe and intuitive human robot cooperation in industrial environment. I also obtained fundings to develop a neuromorphic computing framework that perform sensor fusion and propose a model of Retinal Ganglion Cells to predict the motion of an object.

Selected publications

Houbre, Q., & Pieters, R. (2025). “Active exploration and working memory synaptic plasticity shapes goal-directed behavior in curiosity-driven learning”. Cognitive Systems Research, 101339.

Q.Houbre, A.Angleraud and R.Pieters, "Balancing Exploration and Exploitation : A Neurally Inspired Mechanism to Learn Sensorimotor Contingencies". HFR 2020 (accepted - preprint)

Q. Houbre, A. Angleraud and R. Pieters, "An Inhibition of Return Mechanism for the Exploration of Sensorimotor Contingencies," 2020 IEEE International Conference on Human-Machine Systems (ICHMS), Rome, Italy (Preprint)).

Q.Houbre, A.Angleraud, R.Pieters, "Exploration and Exploitation of Sensorimotor Contingencies for a Cognitive Embodied Agent". In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence 2020.

Own links

Latest publications

Active exploration and working memory synaptic plasticity shapes goal-directed behavior in curiosity-driven learning

Houbre, Q. & Pieters, R., 2025, julkaisussa: Cognitive Systems Research. 91, 101339.

Tutkimustuotos: Artikkeli › Tieteellinen › vertaisarvioitu

Balancing Exploration and Exploitation: A Neurally Inspired Mechanism to Learn Sensorimotor Contingencies

Houbre, Q., Angleraud, A. & Pieters, R., 2021, Human-Friendly Robotics 2020: 13th International Workshop. Saveriano, M., Renaudo, E., Rodríguez-Sánchez, A. & Piater, J. (toim.). Springer, s. 59-73 15 Sivumäärä (Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics; Vuosikerta 18).