Study level

  • PhD
  • Master of Philosophy

Faculty/School

Faculty of Engineering

School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Robotics

Supervisors

Professor Jason Ford
Position
Professor in Electrical Engineering
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering
Dr Guilherme Froes Silva
Position
Lecturer
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering

Overview

To advance precision positioning control technology through instrumentation of an 800×800 μm XY positioning table, equipped with two piezoelectric actuators to manoeuvre samples under a microscope. Positioning control systems designers struggle with trade-offs between positioning accuracy, actuation range, response time, and cost.

Our goal is to enhance the positioning systems, used in atomic force microscopes, to improve their imaging accuracy and resolution while reducing overall hardware costs. By quantising analogue positioning sensors to simulate low-resolution (low-cost) encoders, we will explore new control techniques that offer superior tracking resolution beyond inherent sensor resolution. This lowers costs in high-precision positioning applications (advanced manufacturing, pick-and-place operations, etc).

This project offers students an immersive experience in atomic force microscopy (AFM), a high-resolution imaging technique used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology to visualise surfaces at the atomic and molecular levels.

Research activities

You will focus on enhancing precision control techniques through the instrumentation of the XY positioning table. This table comprises two piezoelectric actuators responsible for precisely moving a sample under the microscope. The actuators must undergo comprehensive characterisation, including frequency response analysis and model identification, to establish a robust foundation for subsequent control experiments.

A key aspect involves specifying the interfacing hardware, such as dSPACE or similar hardware, to condition sensor signals and translate command signals for actuating the positioning table.

Outcomes

  • new control techniques
  • advances in high-precision control technology.

Skills and experience

  • control theory
  • maths
  • electronics.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

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Keywords

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.