PhD Studentship: State estimation for fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control of redundant robotic systems

Analysis theme: Robotics and AI

This 4 yr PhD is funded by EPSRC funded by The College of Manchester and Jacobs as their help to the EPSRC-funded Prosperity Partnership (CRADLE: Centre for Robotic Autonomy in Demanding and Lengthy-lasting Environments).

Absolutely funded for UK residence college students, however solely partial funding is accessible for abroad college students. Profitable candidates will obtain a tax free stipend set artwork the UKRI fee (£19,237 for 2024/25).

CRADLE is an EPSRC funded Prosperity Partnership that brings collectively the economic expertise that Jacobs have in utilized robotics and autonomous methods (RAS) with the analysis experience on the College of Manchester on this area. The partnership goals to ship novel and transformational RAS know-how that allows robots to be deployed in probably the most demanding environments, reminiscent of area, nuclear, vitality technology and concrete infrastructure, over lengthy lengths of time.

Robots working within the area normally face challenges unlikely to occur in a managed setting reminiscent of analysis labs. Due to this fact, in real-world conditions, robots are topic to failures reminiscent of defective sensing and actuation and have to function below non-ideal situations to complete the mission till getting again to a restore location. For instance, when working in harsh or industrial environments, some arm joints of a cellular manipulator would possibly cease working because of mud ingress or overheating from extreme load. In that case, the robotic might leverage the kinematic redundancy to deal with the defective actuators with out compromising the mission execution or, ideally, efficiency. Analogously, an underwater automobile with many thrusters ought to function appropriately if even some actuators cease working or work with decreased efficiency.
This work will concentrate on common state estimation methods for detecting faults in redundant methods and insurance policies to decide on additional motion, reminiscent of cellular manipulators composed of an articulated robotic manipulator serially hooked up to a cellular base or underwater robots geared up with many thrusters. The developed strategies might be utilized to actual robots owned by one of many undertaking companions and related to the general analysis programme.

All tasks might be supervised by lecturers on the College of Manchester and consultants within the software of robotic methods at Jacobs, and they’ll all comprise a big concentrate on the design and growth of sensible robotic demonstrators.

Eligibility

Candidates ought to have or anticipate to attain no less than a 2.1 honours diploma in engineering or pc science or an MSc qualification in Robotics, Electrical & Digital Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Pc Science or different equal self-discipline.

Candidates should meet the Faculty’s minimal English Language requirement.

Candidates might be anticipated to adjust to the College’s insurance policies and practices of equality, variety and inclusion.

Candidates might be required to proof the next abilities:

• Inventive and innovation potential, skill to assume out of the field.
• Motivation of the candidate for inter-disciplinary analysis.
• Potential to work with each lecturers and industrialists.
• You should be able to acting at a really excessive degree.
• You should have a self-driven curiosity in uncovering and fixing unknown issues and have the ability to work onerous and creatively with out fixed supervision.

Earlier than you apply, please contact the supervisors: Dr Lengthy Zhang, Dr Murilo Marinho and Dr Keir Groves at [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

For extra data please go to: https://cradlerobotics.co.uk/phd-opportunities-at-cradle-robotics-and-ai/