Rolls-Royce sponsored PhD scholarship – Mechatronics system for hybrid manufacturing processing

Applicants are invited to undertake a 3 ½ year PhD program in partnership with industry to address key challenges in on-platform manufacturing engineering. The successful candidate will be based at The Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Manufacturing and On-Wing Technology at University of Nottingham.

We are seeking applicants to start on a Rolls-Royce project before October 2019.

At the Rolls-Royce UTC, we are developing the next generation of robots and its sensing solutions to perform tasks in challenging working environments (https://www.rolls-royce.com/media/press-releases/2018/17-07-2018-rr-demonstrates-the-future-%20of-engine-maintenance-with-robots.aspx ). This project is related to the development of smart mechanisms and sensing to support the aforementioned tasks with the following actions:
• Develop the principles and theories for governing the scalability principles for building foldable and reconfigurable end-effectors that are able to access geometrically complex workspaces under positional restrictions.
• Develop smart control algorithms that will allow the end-effectors to communicate with the central control system and coordinate tasks with other end-effectors and host robots.
Smart sensing systems to support automated manufacturing and maintenance, repair & overhaul. We refer here not only to conventional sensing, e.g. vision, orientation, that are commonly integrated on the end-effectors, but on advanced (e.g. tactile, sound-based, shape) solutions that enhance the perception of the end-effectors so that versatile tasks can be performed.

We are seeking talented candidates with:
• First or upper second class degree in Robotics/Mechanical/Cybernetics/Mechatronics /Computer Science or related scientific discipline.
• First rate analytical and numerical skills, with a well-rounded academic background.
• Demonstrated ability to develop precision mechatronics system and algorithm
• Ability to develop kinematic and/or dynamic analysis of mechanical/robotic systems
• Ability to implement control and kinematics with hardware-in-the–loop
• Background with relevant packages, (MATLAB, SolidWorks/Creo, ROS/ OpenCV/ python, LabVIEW/C languages)
• A driven, professional and self-dependent work attitude is essential
• Experience of working within industry will be an advantage
• The ability to produce high quality presentations and written reports

This is an excellent opportunity to work on a novel mechatronics system with strong links to industrial applications and key skills and knowledge in preparation for a high-impact, high-technology research or industrial career