Application deadline: Friday, January 08, 2027
Funding: Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Supervisory Team: Dr Sjoerd van Ophem
This PhD will develop digital twins that use noise and vibration measurements to estimate hidden indicators of robot performance. Combining physics-based modelling, sensing and state estimation, the project will create virtual sensing technologies that improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of future robotic systems in support of the UK's net-zero ambitions.
Robots are playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, infrastructure inspection and autonomous transport. As the UK progresses towards its net-zero ambitions, robotic systems are expected to improve productivity, reduce waste, support sustainable manufacturing and enable the efficient operation of critical infrastructure. To maximise these benefits, robots must operate efficiently, reliably and safely throughout their lifetime.
However, many quantities that determine robot performance remain difficult or expensive to measure directly. Examples include cutting forces in robotic surgery, wheel-ground interactions in autonomous mobile robots, component degradation and energy-loss mechanisms. At the same time, robots naturally generate noise and vibration that contain valuable information about the dynamic processes occurring within the system.
This PhD project will investigate how noise and vibration measurements can be transformed into estimates of robot performance using next-generation digital twins. The successful candidate will develop physics-informed virtual sensing techniques that combine numerical models with sensor measurements using state-estimation and data-assimilation methods. The resulting digital twins will act as virtual sensors, providing estimates of quantities that are difficult or impossible to measure directly.
The developed methods could enable robots to operate more efficiently, reliably and sustainably by improving condition monitoring, reducing maintenance requirements, extending asset life and supporting intelligent control strategies.
The project combines aspects of robotics, structural dynamics, acoustics, sensing, artificial intelligence and digital twins.
You will have access to world-leading experimental facilities and expertise of the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) while contributing to the development of the next generation of intelligent robotic systems.
Entry requirements
A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.
Fees and funding
We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.
Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.
Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.
Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.
For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.
How to apply
You need to:
- choose programme type (Research), 2027/28, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- select Full time or Part time
- search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
- add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application
Applications should include:
- your CV (resumé)
- 2 academic references
- degree transcripts and certificates to date
- English language qualification (if applicable)
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
For questions about applying, [contact details available in the full listing].
Project leader
For an initial conversation, [contact details available in the full listing].
The School of Engineering is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
