Control of renewable energy / mechatronic / robotic systems

These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying. 

Control Engineering represents a diverse and impactful field, dedicated to enhancing system performance by strategically addressing design imperfections through the strategic placement of sensors and actuators, coupled with customized input design. Its influence extends across a myriad of technological systems. Currently, I am seeking passionate students eager to delve into the development and application of innovative control schemes, with a focus on enhancing stability and performance in various domains. This includes but is not limited to floating offshore windmills, soft robotic actuators, origami robots, precision positioning systems, and active vibration isolation systems for ultra-quiet floors.

I invite students to explore both conventional linear and nonlinear control strategies, such as pole-placement, sliding-mode, and adaptive control. Additionally, there is room for exploration in cutting-edge areas like fractional-order control, complex-order control, and data-driven control. Your research journey is not confined to these specific areas; feel free to reach out to me to discuss topics aligned with your interests within the broader spectrum of control theory, design, and application. I am open to exploring new avenues and ideas that contribute to the advancement of control engineering. Please don't hesitate to contact me for further discussions on any of these exciting topics or to propose an area of interest that aligns with the overarching themes of control theory.

Essential Background:

Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) with firm understanding of transfer-function based and state-space based control theory is a must. Candidates must have good experience using MATLAB /SIMULINK / Python.

Desirable knowledge:.

Knowledge of Nonlinear Dynamics, System Identification and Modelling, Control of Nonlinear Systems is highly desirable.

Application Procedure:

Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php.

You should apply for Engineering (PhD) to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.

Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project title on the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the studentship.

Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.

Please note: you DO NOT need to provide a research proposal with this application.

If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at pgrs-admissions@abdn.ac.uk