The Mobile Intelligent Autonomous Systems (MIAS) Emerging Research Area (ERA) was established to build capability in robotics at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) within the country of South Africa. MIAS has a particular focus on autonomous systems for real-world environments – areas which might be partially structured or cluttered, and where dynamic objects or people might be present.
MIAS develops methods and algorithms for autonomous perception, navigation, planning, object manipulation, and learning. In combination, these allow a mobile robot, or team of robots, to perceive the environment and move and interact therein.
As an ERA, MIAS is largely focussed on research. However, it has also undertaken contract work for clients in industry.