Behind every research project is a compelling story. In the case of Dr. Ifeanyi Francis Ezebili, it is a journey across three continents leading to the development of technologies that could significantly transform human-robot collaboration.
“My academic journey began in electrical and electronics engineering, continued through Process Systems Engineering, and eventually led me to mechatronics, where I fully immersed myself in robotics and computer vision,” explains Dr. Ezebili, who earned his PhD from Stellenbosch University.
He gained experience through both academic studies and teaching positions in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and South Africa. The combination of an international environment and a strong technical background ultimately led him to his current research focus.
The inspiration for the project came from a proposal submitted under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships programme. Dr. Ezebili is currently working on a two-year research project titled Safety Improvement and Control Strategies in Human-Robot Collaboration Using Non-Rectified Multicamera Images, funded within the HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships – EF programme.
The research focuses on improving safety in human-robot collaboration (HRC) and introduces new approaches to collision prevention in collaborative robotic systems.
“My research focuses on developing new control strategies using a stereo vision system and a custom reconstruction model. The goal is to improve the safety and reliability of these systems in real-world environments.”
The project naturally builds upon his previous work in geometric computer vision, particularly stereo vision, which now forms the technological foundation of the entire research.
Dr. Ezebili also plans to present his findings at leading international conferences such as the European Conference on Computer Vision and the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.