Christopher Parrott

About Me

I'm Christopher Parrott, a research associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Sheffield. I'm working with Prof. Kirill Horoshenkov on the robotics theme of TWENTY65.

Previously, I was a PhD student in the Department of Automatic Control & Systems Engineering at The University of Sheffield, based in Sheffield Robotics. My supervisors were Dr. Roderich Gross and Prof. Tony J. Dodd. My research focused on self-reconfigurable modular robotics, specifically the development of a new system, called HyMod. To find out more about this research, please visit the Publications page. During my spare time, I have been involved in a variety of hardware and software projects, either by myself or as part of a team. Details of these can be found on the Projects page, as well as in various posts on my Blog.

Below is a summary of my employment and education history, technical skills, and activities. If you would like to know more, or wish to share any research, project, or job opportunities, please visit the Contact page. A full CV is available on request.

Employment

2017 - Present

• Research Associate in Robotic Autonomous Sensing
  The University of Sheffield, UK

2010 - 2012

• Games Programmer
  Eurocom Developments Ltd, Derby, UK
  Worked on the following titles:
  • Rio - The Video Game (Xbox360, PS3, Wii)
  • Disney Universe (Xbox360, PS3, Wii, PC)
  • Harry Potter for Kinect (Xbox360)

Education

2012 - 2017

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Modular Robotics
  The University of Sheffield, UK

2006 - 2009

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (First Class Honours)
  The University of Wales - Aberystwyth, UK

2004 - 2006

• A-Level in Electronics (A Grade)
  Bilborough College, Nottingham, UK
• A-Level in Computing (B Grade)
  Bilborough College, Nottingham, UK
• A-Level in Physics (B Grade)
  Bilborough College, Nottingham, UK
• AS-Level in Mathematics (C Grade)
  Bilborough College, Nottingham, UK

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

• Proficient In - C/C++
• Familiar With - C#, Java, Assembly, XML, HTML, CSS, LaTeX
• Experienced - Visual Basic, Pascal, Prolog, PHP, JavaScript, Lua

Program Libraries

• User Interface - WxWidgets, Qt
• Rendering - DirectX, Ogre3D
• Physics - Havok

Applications

• General - Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Development Environments - Visual Studio, Eclipse, Arduino
• Printer Circuit Board Design - DesignSpark PCB
• Computer-Aided Design - Solidworks, Fusion360, OpenSCAD, ProDesktop
• 2D Graphics - Photoshop, Inkscape
• 3D Graphics - Blender, Wings3D

Activities

2015 - 2016

• Secretary
  Sheffield University Gaming Society
  Responsible for the smooth running of the society. Primary duties included:
  • Booking rooms for committee meetings and member events
  • Managing the society email account, mailing list, and Facebook page
  • Liaising with sponsors on tournament prizes and food deals

2014 - 2015

• Console Officer
  Sheffield University Gaming Society
  Responsible for organising weekly console gaming tournaments, as well as console activities at monthly LAN gaming events.