About the Project
This project is a collaborative initiative by the University of Surrey and Airbus, UK. The successful candidate will join the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), a world-class institution for space engineering research and the project will be carried out in the Robotics and Control Research Group within SSC. It will be in partnership with the Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), which is a leading UK research centre in audio-visual signal processing, computer vision and machine learning. SSC and CVSSP are two research active centres within in the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of Surrey, and the successful candidate will join a group of over 100 other research students in related areas.
This EPSRC industrial PhD studentship falls within the framework of Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) – one of the eight great technologies identified by the UK Government. Advancements in RAS will enable a multitude of orbital space missions such as servicing and maintenance of operational spacecraft, assembly of large astronomical telescopes and Radars, and debris removal. The project aims at developing a new generation of adaptable robotic manipulators that will be capable of changing their morphology through self-reconfiguration of their modular arm/s and hand/s. This involves developing a modular design for the link-joint pairs of the arm with an interchangeable and reconfigurable robotic compliant hand. Deep learning techniques will be used to train the robot manipulator to undertake routine tasks in a semi/autonomous manner. The feasibility of the design will be tested, in a simulation environment, for two use cases (i) for orbital assembly and maintenance of a large aperture space telescope (ii) robotic mining of asteroids where the manipulator could be used for capturing a small asteroid or for deeper excavation of other planetary bodies.
The supervisory team consists of Dr. Mini C. Saaj (Primary supervisor from SSC) and Dr. Simon Hadfield (Second supervisor from CVSSP). Further, there will be an industrial supervisor, from Airbus, to advise on mission requirements and to ensure relevance of research to future space missions.
How to Apply:
Applicants should have a First or Upper Second class honours degree, ideally a masters in Engineering (Robotics/Control/Space/Aerospace/Electronics/Electrical/Mechanical/Mechatronics), and be able to demonstrate good problem solving and analytical skills. Computing background in Matlab, Simulink, C/C++ and SolidEdge will be an advantage. Applicants are expected to have good hands-on-skills, excellent communication and presentation skills. Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with no sub-test of less than 6. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview.
Submit your online application at - https://www.surrey.ac.uk/postgraduate/space-engineering-phd specifying your point of contact as Dr. Saaj.
You must also attach a CV, certified copies of degree certificates and transcripts, a personal statement describing relevant experience (maximum 2 pages), 2 references, and proof of eligibility (eg passport or residence permit).
Funding Notes
This studentship, jointly funded by EPSRC and Airbus, is for 4 years starting from 1/10/18. This position is open to citizens of the UK or Europe who meets EPSRC’s residence requirements. The funding will fully cover your annual UK/EU fees, which is £4,260 for 2018/19. You will receive a tax-free maintenance grant of up to £14,777 for 2018/19 and thereafter, the stipend will increase in-line with the RCUK rate annually. We will also cover the travel costs to present your research at national/international conferences. More details can be found at – https://www.ukri.org/skills/funding-for-research-training/
Continue with Facebook
