Going The Distance: Reflections on Using Robot Racing Cars for Teaching Machine Learning

The SFI Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning (ML-Labs) is an internationally connected and recognised centre specialising in machine learning graduate training. ML-Labs delivers a unique cohort-based PhD training programme designed to address the urgent demand for machine learning talent and to strengthen the global reputation of Ireland as a centre of excellence for machine learning research and application. In this talk, I will present some of the key elements of the ML-Labs PhD programme and focus on the design and delivery of a 6 weeks hands-on group project aimed at building relationships between students and introducing them to the whole life-cycle of a machine learning project. ML-Labs currently has more than 125 PhD students who all have undertaken the group project as a starting element of their PhD experience. A few samples of outcomes of this project can be read in the form of final team project reports and news briefs at the ML-Labs Website (https://www.ml-labs.ie) and ML-Labs Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=quDi0LYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works).