About the project
Jellyfish utilise pulsatile jets of water to propel themselves forward. As they lack a skeleton, they do not control the movement of bones, but instead control their internal hydrodynamic pressure for actuation. You will develop an aquatic soft robot that utilises soft fluid-filled tubes to indirectly morph the robot by controlling internal pressure and stiffness and achieve underwater propulsion.
During your PhD you will engineer a novel bio-inspired propulsion and control system inspired by jellyfish. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has awarded the University of Southampton with 3 PhD studentships in bio-inspired underwater propulsion. You will become a part of a UK-wide cohort of PhDs in this area, which includes students at other UK based universities.
Motivated candidates with knowledge of interest in mechatronics, hydrodynamics, robotic design and experimentation, control and machine learning techniques are encouraged to apply. The PhD candidates will have access to a large array of facilities including Maritime Robotics Lab and Experimental Fluids Lab located at Highfield and Boldrewood Innovation campuses.
In addition to the regular activities of a PhD, you will interact with other students in your cohort, organise industry facing workshops, and report your progress to DSTL.
Come join our Bioinspired Underwater Propulsion cohort and learn novel ways moving underwater!
