Advancements in Manufacturing Automation via 3D-Printed Microstructures Towards Human-Robot Collaboration

Summary

Robots are increasingly expected to work beside people on the factory floor rather than behind safety cages. To do that safely and productively, a machine needs a sense of touch, i.e. the ability to detect contact, grip, and force as it happens. Commercial tactile sensors are costly, awkward to retrofit, and hard to customise for the varied grippers, fixtures and parts found in high-mix, low-volume production. That is a real barrier for SME-dominated engineering base in NI.

This PhD will develop low-cost touch sensors built from 3D-printed microstructures. The microstructures are engineered lattice and cut-cell geometries of which deformation under load is converted into an electrical signal through magnetic (Hall-effect), piezoresistive, or capacitive transduction. Because the sensing element is printed, its shape, compliance, and sensitivity can be tuned to a specific task and produced in-house on standard desktop equipment, at a fraction of the cost of a commercial tactile skin.

The PhD researcher will design and simulate candidate microstructures; fabricate and characterise prototypes; build calibration and signal-processing pipelines including machine learning for contact localisation, force estimation, and slip detection; and integrate the resulting sensors onto collaborative robots towards safer and more responsive human-robot collaboration.

The project is based in the Multi-Agent and Advanced Robotics Centre (MAvRiC) at Ulster University Belfast campus, with access to collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, additive manufacturing facilities as well as high-performance computing. It is run with Electronic Automation Engineers (EAE-NI), a Belfast automation design and integration company, who will provide industrial supervision, in-house training, access to industrial datasets and sensing data, and placements of up to three months in total at their facility in Titanic Quarter.

Applicants should hold, or expect to hold, at least a 2:1 honours degree in mechatronic or electronic engineering, robotics, or a closely related discipline, and should enjoy both hands-on prototyping and data-driven methods.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement demonstrating interest in the subject area
• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Applicants should hold, or expect to hold a First Class Honours Degree in a relevant subject area
• International applicants should hold, or expect to hold a relevant Masters Degree at a level equivalent to a distinction at Ulster
• Experience or knowledge of research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Track record of peer reviewed publications

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• Department for the Economy (DfE)
• Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship (VCRS)

PhD Scholarships are available for this project and will cover:

• Tuition fees.
• A maintenance allowance of approximately £22,000 (exact rate is to be confirmed) per annum for three years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.
• A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of approximately £900 per annum.

To be eligible for these scholarships applicants must: be a UK or Irish national; or have pre-settled or settled status; or have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

Applicants should also meet the residency criteria which requires that they have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the three years preceding the start date of the research degree programme i.e. September 2027.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year, or part-time equivalent, funded from any source, including self-financing students, are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Students in full-time employment are not eligible for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies.

Part-time PhD scholarships may be available at a 0.5 pro rata rate of the full-time scholarship, which would require a six-year registration period.

The University will award a successful candidate one of the following scholarships for the project, depending on the funding available at the time an admissions offer is made:

1. Department for the Economy (DfE) PhD Scholarships
2. Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarships (VCRS)

Please note that the Terms and Conditions for scholarships are subject to change for 2027/28.