PhD Studentship on Leaving the Lab: Bioinspired Micro Air Vehicles for Real-World Applications

Supervisor: Dr Sophie Armanini
Application deadline: until filled
Start date: as soon as possible

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in the Departments of Aeronautics, on the topic of bioinspired flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs). The successful candidate will have access to the state-of-the-art facilities of the Brahmal Vasudevan Aerial Robotics Lab, which include a large indoor flight arena equipped with a 6-DOF Vicon motion capture system.  

FWMAVs can be highly agile and efficient at low flight speeds and small scales. On top of this, they are inherently safe, thanks to their lightweight structures and propulsion based on ultralight, often flexible wings instead of hazardous propellers. These features make FWMAVs promising for applications in cluttered spaces and in delicate environments, especially close to humans, flora or fauna. Even so, these robots are still barely used outside laboratory settings, due to their high complexity and severely limited flight time, payload and capabilities beyond basic flight.

This project aims to advance the real-world applicability of FWMAVs by investigating new bioinspired design and flight approaches. Focuses may include: endurance and payload enhancement, outdoor and all-weather operations, full flight-envelope exploitation, aerial physical interaction, collision resistance, etc. The specific research direction can be adjusted depending on the candidate’s interests. In addition to opening up new opportunities for aerial robot applications, this research may result in entirely new vehicle design solutions as well as new fundamental insight on insect flight. 

Applications are invited from candidates who possess (or expect to gain) a first-class honours MEng or higher degree or equivalent in Aeronautics, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics or related areas. Applicants should have a strong background in mechanical design, flight dynamics and modelling of dynamic systems, as well as a solid understanding of aerodynamics. Experience with relevant experimental work will be advantageous. Applicants should also have an interest in bioinspired engineering solutions, and a proven aptitude and passion for research.

Funding

This studentship is for 3.5 years and will provide full coverage of tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of £20,622 for Home, EU and International students.

Information on fee status can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/fee-status/. To learn more about Imperial College, please go to www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg.

To apply for these fully-funded studentships please go to https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate-doctoral/application-process/ and indicate in your application the reference code for the project. Please address your application to Department of Aeronautics.

For further inquiries, contact the project lead Dr Sophie Armanini at s.armanini@imperial.ac.uk.

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