Will a research proposal of looking into applications of current technologies be frowned upon because it does not deal with fundamental research?

Question

I'm interested in robotics and particularly in how we can use autonomous systems to aid with environmental conservation. I'm currently looking into PhD programmes but it seems to me that the vast majority of research happening in the relevant departments covers pretty fundamental, low-level technologies which might sometime see an application if they get a whole lot of development.

So, what's the deal with research in technology? Are universities/institutes not a place for, say, researching "Using Reinforcement Learning in Methane Monitoring Drones?"

Answer 1

I can't say anything about your particular topic or area, but what you need to do is find the right advisor. The right advisor will not necessarily be doing something very closely aligned with your idea, but will support you in pursuing your idea. You need to be in an institution that will support interdisciplinary research. Thus, your home department might not be a robotics program. But you might take some coursework in robotics. Make sure the institution you choose to study in has the key academic elements you need in order to learn what you need to learn, and will support your getting the lab space and time you'll need.

I think the key is to find the right advisor. It might be someone with a joint appointment in two departments. I imagine most large institutions would probably satisfy the other requirements.