Computational Neuroscience & Robotics
The Centre for Cognitive and Neurological Research was created in 1996 as a joint research venture between biological scientists and cognitive and computing scientists. Its remit is to explore the interface between biological and computational sciences, and has provided new understanding of behaviour-generating mechanisms in natural systems (animals) and developed control systems for artificial autonomous agents (robots).

Evolutionary & Adaptive Systems
The group has world-leading knowledge of artificial evolution in both theoretical research and practical applications. Specialisations include research into Alife, particularly the evolution of social behaviour, navigational strategies employed by insects, and robust robot controllers which can successfully cope with radical body disruptions such as inversion of the visual field or the loss of a limb.

Other research concentrates on the philosophical foundations of AI and ALife including the social and ethical implications of existing and future technologies of this nature.

Computational Linguistics & Natural Language
The group works on corpus based natural language processing using stochastic optimisation techniques and is actively involved with standards definition for natural language computing. It uses hybrid linguistics/statistical approaches to the disambiguation of text; and has tools for large scale natural language grammar and lexicon development.

In the areas of the philosophy of language, the philosophy of the mind and cognitive science, active research projects include: internalism/externalism; non-conceptual content; naturalistic approaches to meaning; linguistic meaning; and types of normality.

Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition
Research in this area concentrates on several aspects of image interpretation and pattern recognition. As in other areas of A.I. and ALife, the physiology of biological organisms is often used as a basis for comparing and contrasting system models, and includes the dynamic aspects of visual perception, parallel computations of visual motion understanding, and biological motion understanding. Applications include biomedical research, surveillance and mineral exploration.

In engineering, the Informatics and Image Recognition Group is also researching into machine vision, concentrating on signal processing and the integration of imaging technology with Computer Aided Design (CAD).