Biography

My name is Amena Ireland, a robotic researcher fascinated with decentralised systems. From bio-inspired swarms to cultural agents, I build systems that listen to both our environment and the human brain.

My research explores the intersections of Swarm Intelligence, Neurotechnology and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Inspired by cutting edge research on the interface between electronics and biology and collective behaviour, I focus engineering soft, adaptive and distributed systems; ranging from schools of electronic fish to EEG-controlled swarms. My goal is to create technology that integrates seamlessly with the natural and human world.

With a background as a Research Associate at the Bristol Swarm Engineering Lab, I translate principles of collective intelligence into functional hardware. My work, including waterproof biomimetic fish agents and privacy-preserving storytelling robots, has been recognised by the British Computer Society (Ada Lovelace Colloquium) and is published as an academic paper in The Language of Creative AI, Springer 2025.

Currently, I am pivoting towards Neurotechnology, applying my experience in distributed systems to neural interfaces and bio-hybrid robotics for clinical applications.