EPSRC Funded Studentship: Soft 3D printed robots with a monolithically integrated artificial nervous system (2018)

What you get

You will get:

• Home/EU PhD fees
• a tax-free living expenses at Research Council UK rates (£14,777 per year for 2018/19)
• research/training expenses for 3 and a half years.

Type of award

PhD

PhD project

Recent advances in materials science and new fabrication processes drive a paradigm shift in electrical and mechanical engineering. Instead of rigid bulky structures such as silicon wafers and metal frames, soft biomimetic approaches are envisioned.

Novel semiconductors and polymeric substrates result in flexible electronics which can be unobtrusively attached to biological or synthetic tissue and be used to realise sensor systems which naturally conform to static or dynamic three-dimensional surfaces.

At the same time, 3D printing and soft robots offer the possibility to realize mechanical systems which are reconfigurable and able to mimic the deformability of living organisms. They can move, grasp, and, if equipped with sensors, also detect objects.

A soft robot's ability to mimic the mechanical properties of biological tissues enables it to swiftly perform tasks that require both conformability and precision, and that are traditionally done by humans.

These include collaborative industrial fabrication using reconfigurable robots, and healthcare services provided by robots, able to augment and assist the movement of limbs or to support rehabilitation of patients.

Nevertheless, current soft robots are in general limited to soft bodies in combination with rigid sensors contacted by obtrusive wires.

The aim of this project is to work on novel soft robotics concepts by combining deformable structures with flexible electronics to realise a soft pneumatic gripper with a monolithically integrated artificial nervous system made from liquid metals, soft sensors and deformable transistors.

All these elements should be combined to detect pressure and temperature variations on the soft robot's surface. The collected data should then be used as feedback to control the soft and smart robot.

Such a bio-inspired artificial robot mimics the abilities of a human hand by combining actuators and sensors in a single monolithically printed and soft structure.

This project combines electrical and mechanical engineering with material science and innovative fabrication methods. Ultimately a smart integrated robot will be realised using thin film technology and 3D printing of soft rubber materials.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you need to:

• have an excellent academic record and should have received or be expected to receive a relevant first or upper-second class honours degree
• be a UK or EU student who has been ordinarily resident in the UK for the previous three years. If you are an EU student and you don't meet this criteria, you will only be eligible for a fee waiver
• preferably have experience in 3D printing, the fabrication of electronic circuits, or cleanroom processing.

 

If you are an overseas (non-EU) student, you are not eligible to apply.

Deadline

30 June 2018 0:00

How to apply

You need to apply for a PhD in Engineering via the University of Sussex postgraduate application system.

When you apply, you should include a brief statement of your scientific interests and skills/experience for the mandatory "research proposal" section, including how they relate to this project (maximum two pages).

You should also indicate Dr Niko Munzenrieder as your preferred advisor and clearly state the title of the studentship in the finance section.

Contact us

Email Dr Niko Munzenrieder at N.S.Munzenrieder@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

The deadline is 02/03/2018.