About the Project
A fully funded PhD studentship for research into the control of robotic manipulators is available for an outstanding graduate in engineering. This is a Lancaster University funded studentship. For this position, a significant component of the research will be practically-orientated, involving laboratory robotic systems in the Engineering Department. Hence, an enthusiasm for both engineering analysis and practical experimental work, together with programming skills will be essential. The main objective is to develop control systems for applications such as autonomous pipe-cutting and material discrimination.
Engineering research at Lancaster University has been rated as world leading in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and you will join a dedicated team of engineers working on a range of exciting topics in nuclear engineering, control and robotics.
Mobile robots reduce the need for manned entry into radioactive environments e.g. areas of high beta/gamma mixed wastes, a widespread problem in the context of waste vaults at nuclear power plants. They provide an invaluable option for the safe retrieval and disposal of contaminated materials, whilst safeguarding the environment and minimising radiation exposure to operators. Increasing the autonomy of nuclear robots is one of the key factors to improve the decommissioning process, in which robots are required to interact with objects and the environment forcefully, by pushing, cutting, shearing and grinding, in addition to standard pick-and-place tasks.
Hence, the project will help to deliver optimised, widely applicable intelligent control architectures for industry-specified decommissioning tasks. Our BROKK-based system, with dual seven degree-of-freedom manipulators and a flexible tool configuration, has already been used at the NNL’s Workington laboratory for successful material discrimination trials in relation to a Sellafield Ltd project. Additional newer robotic manipulators and other robotic systems will also be utilised for the research.
Within this robotics context, there is some flexibility over the research direction, depending on the applicant’s expertise and interests. A detailed research plan will be drawn up by the successful applicant and supervisors. This can potentially focus on e.g. control systems, kinematics, human-machine software interface, force feedback, and so on.
Funding Notes
The full standard studentship consists of tuition fees, together with a maintenance grant and research training support. The funding is for 3.5 years and will pay a stipend at standard UKRC rate. To declare your interest and for further information, please send a copy of your CV and cover letter to Professor James Taylor, Engineering Department, Lancaster University: [Email Address Removed]. The formal application for PhD study can subsequently be made via the Lancaster University Postgraduate Admissions Portal.
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