About the Project
The Imperial College Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Neurotechnology for Life and Health (see http://www.findaphd.com/search/PhDDetails.aspx?CAID=2386) and McLaren Applied Technologies are recruiting candidates for a 4-year joint academic/industrial studentship in the field of Biomechatronics. The studentship will start in October 2015.
Supervisors: Ravi Vaidyanathan (Mechanical Engineering), Alison McGregor (Surgery & Cancer), Rob Hart (McLaren Applied Technologies), Caroline Hargrove (McLaren Applied Technologies)
This studentship represents a unique opportunity for a motivated doctoral candidate wishing to work at the interface of translational academic-industrial research in human augmentation. Longer term opportunities are anticipated for the successful candidate between Imperial College and McLaren Applied Technologies at the close of their doctorate.
Highly qualified students are sought for a project centring on instrumentation for studying mechanisms of sensory-motor control, as applied to human movement and neurological foundations of balance. The goal is to create an integrated, system that will detect, fuse, and transmit sensor data from foot contact force, muscle action, and motion for pervasive monitoring, diagnostic assessment, and treatment of patients with neurological and/or movement dysfunction. Technology innovation in this project will leverage work from the Imperial-McLaren team in:
• Wearable motion tracking: We have developed a range of MARG (Magnetic, Angular Rate, and Gravity) sensor packages and algorithms whose computational efficiency enables use at low power, facilitating integration into the diverse sensor suites targeted in this project
• Pervasive muscle recording: Our team has developed a new sensor for muscle activity for use outside clinical environs; this will be integrated into balance monitoring system in this project.
• Force profile sensing: We have developed a sensor ‘sheet’ capable of force measurement within clothing, shoes and orthotics. Smart materials are used to create a grid of pressure sensitive areas which can be embedded into a cloth or orthotic liner which will be used to correlate contact forces with balance.
• Biomedical Signal Fusion: This project will extend models we have developed in signal processing to fuse information from multimodal physiological signals from the integrated suite.
The successful candidate will be based at Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK and McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4YH.
Click "Email Now" to contact Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan for more information on the project
The CDT programme is not a standard PhD programme. Throughout the 4 years, there is considerable emphasis upon multidisciplinary and transferable skills, through centre activities beyond the individual research project. The programme cannot be taken without the initial MRes Neurotechnology year, as it is an integral part of the overall programme.
Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent) in an engineering or physical sciences discipline, with background in mechatronics, embedded systems, multi-body dynamics, and biomechanics. Experience with inertial sensing systems will be advantageous. Applicants should be self-motivated and comfortable working at the interface of academic and industrial research
Funding Notes
The studentship will cover UK/EU tuition fees and a tax free stipend of approximately £16,000 per year, for one year of MRes and 3 years of PhD. A generous annual allowance will be provided for research consumables and for conference attendance.
The studentship is open to UK or EU applicants only.
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