Prof D Reid, Prof S Marshall
Applications accepted all year round
About the Project
Project not available to non UK/EU applicants.
The EngD is an alternative to a traditional PhD aimed at students wanting a career in industry. Students spend about 75% of their time working directly with a company in addition to receiving advanced-level training from a broad portfolio of technical and business courses. On completion students are awarded the PhD-equivalent EngD.
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems are emerging as critical elements for sensors in applications as diverse as autonomous vehicles to wind turbine management. Novel technology approaches are needed to create systems to deliver substantial improvements in performance, size, weight, power and cost, leading to new applications. Research and engineering of LIDAR systems can be very rewarding, due to its many facets, encompassing signal processing, lasers, optics, electronics, and modelling.
This 4 year EngD project is to research the next generation of LIDAR systems. Starting from a survey of the state-of-the-art, the project will identify key areas of investigation, with particular emphasis in real areas of interest to Thales in markets such as defence, security, space and energy. The researcher will create system models to predict the performance and then design, build and test a real system in the lab and conduct field trials.
The project will develop novel application of signal processing techniques, such as clutter suppression, point cloud classification, tracking and georeferenceing.
The EngD will have the opportunity to work with a number of groups in Thales both in the UK and France.
The awarding institution for this project will be the University of Strathclyde where the project supervisor, Prof. Stephen Marshall is based.
The ideal candidate would have a Physics/ Electronics degree background, preferably with some knowledge of signal processing or lasers (e.g. final year project).
Funding Notes
Project not available to non UK/EU applicants.
Stipend of £20,326 for 2016/17 intake, plus fees paid.
This 4-year (including CDT taught-courses) project is funded jointly by Thales and by the CDT in Applied Photonics, run by Heriot-Watt University. The annual stipend is 20, 326, which includes an enhancement from Thales. A substantial consumables and equipment budget is provided by a concurrent EPSRC grant. Travel funding for conference presentations is also available.