Lakmal Seneviratne is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the founding Director of the Centre for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS) at Khalifa University, UAE. He has also served as Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies and Associate VP Research at Khalifa University. Prior to joining Khalifa University he was Professor of Mechatronics, the founding Director of the Centre for Robotics Research and the Head of the Division of Engineering, at King’s College London. He is Professor Emeritus at King’s College London. His main research interests are centred on robotics and automation, with particular emphasis on increasing the autonomy of robotic systems interacting with complex dynamic environments. He has published over 400 peer reviewed publications on these topics. He is a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Scientists in the UAE.