Robotics MPhil/PhD at Kings College London

Overview

Current number of academic staff: Currently Engineering has approximately 25 academic staff. However Engineering is a rapidly growing department, growing in both staff numbers and research areas and we anticipate reaching 50 staff within a few years.

Current number of research staff and students: 20 research associates/fellows, approximately 100 MPhil/PhD students across all of our research areas and numerous internationally recognised visiting academics.

Research income: Currently, the Department attracts approximately £7m in research funding. The centre has a long history of funding from the EU, EPSRC and industry grants, as well as work with charities and government agencies

Recent publications: All academics in the Department publish regularly in high quality journals, for example IEEE Transactions and ASME Transactions.

Partner organisations: We have strong links with industry, government and other academic institutions. 

Recent events: We host several workshops and conferences and other regular research meetings. Please check our website for forthcoming events.

Description

The Centre for Robotics Research in the Department of Engineering has an international reputation in the field of robotics, mechanisms, kinematics, and their applications to medical science and production. Since 2010 Robotics has been part of the Department of Engineering, taking advantage of natural opportunities and synergies, continuing its record of prolific publication in prestigious journals, and securing several millions of pounds in research funding.

Staff are reputed nationally and internationally in kinematics, robotics and mechatronics, and collaborate closely with the KCL Health Schools (including St Thomas’ and Guy’s Hospitals) and numerous industrial partners. The Centre is renowned for its multidisciplinary research at the interfaces between Robotics, Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering.

The mission of the Centre for Robotics Research is to develop world-leading solutions to critical challenges faced in society where robot-centric approaches can improve outcomes. Projects largely revolve around medical themes, while recent research efforts have expanded that remit to include horticulture/agriculture, manufacturing and humanitarian demining. The centre brings together specialised expertise in innovative sensing and manipulation technologies, reconfigurable and flexible metamorphic robotic platforms, variable stiffness and soft-body materials, dynamic control methodologies for multi-robot teams and progressive modes of human-robot integration. Many of the activities emphasize interaction with people, from haptic controllers to surgical instrumentation to prosthetic devices and rehabilitation equipment, incorporating machine learning, trajectory planning and shared decision making to provide adaptive interfaces that improve performance over time.

If you are interested in joining us to undertake PhD research, you should identify topics and academic staff in your area of interest. If you cannot find your chosen topic or area on our individual research section or subgroup pages, contact a relevant member of academic staff for further information and then follow the application procedure.