Using bioinspiration and body’s morphology to improve the adaptability and performance of robots

Key information

Lead supervisor: Dr Sara Abad
Application deadline: ongoing
Project start date: 01 October 2025
Project duration: 4 years
Studentship funding: Home tuition fees (currently £6,215/year) and maintenance stipend (currently £21,237/year) for 3.5 years

PhD project description

Background: Due to the increasing global food and healthcare demand, biodiversity loss, increasing natural and man-made disasters, and the significant amount of repetitive and hazardous human tasks, there is an increasing demand for adaptable robots in areas such as healthcare, monitoring, rescue, farming, and so on. Nevertheless, there is a high variability, e.g., across patients, environmental conditions, and terrain type in tasks such as monitoring natural habitats (aquatic and terrestrial), searching for victims after disasters, monitoring and removing weeds, etc. This high variability limits the applicability of robotics for these tasks. Computing technologies and AI research have developed significantly in the last decades to improve the adaptability of robots to changing conditions. Nevertheless, recent research in bioinspired robotics shows that the passive dynamics design for the robots' body can improve the robots' adaptability and performance in these changing conditions. Therefore, further development regarding the embodiment/passive dynamics of the body of robots is critical for achieving enhanced performance and higher adaptability of robots.

Aim: Animals and plants show remarkable adaptability to their environment. Consequently, using a bioinspired approach, the candidate will investigate how much the body dynamics can enhance the robot's adaptability and performance. To achieve this aim, the candidate will use a multidisciplinary approach. The candidate is expected to work jointly with collaborators from other areas, such as biologists, veterinarians, and other relevant areas. The candidate will conduct the research during this project employing various advanced computational, design and experimental approaches.

The position also offers opportunities to engage in teaching assistant activities and work with researchers from the robotics lab in the department. As a PhD student at UCL, the candidate will benefit from training in high-impact research. The candidate will be encouraged to publish work in leading journals and present findings at national/international conferences.

Person specification

• Applicants are preferred to have first-class undergraduate and master’s degrees (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline with interest in bioinspired robotics, simulation/mathematical modelling, experimental evaluation and data analysis.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, along with a stated interest in interdisciplinary research, are essential.
• Experience in computer programming and strong knowledge in solid mechanics and design would be essential.
• Background in microcontrollers’ programming, electronics, and MATLAB is desirable.
• Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements (TOEFL>92 or IELTS>6.5).

Eligibility

Please note that the available funding supports tuition fees at the Home/UK rate (currently £6,215 per year). Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply (e.g. UK students or EEA or Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU Settlement Scheme). Please refer to our website for further information about Home tuition fee eligibility.

International students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Overseas rate (currently £33,000 per year) are also welcome to apply, however the tuition fees covered by the studentship will be limited to the Home/UK level. International students will be required to find additional funding for the remaining Overseas tuition fees.

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to meet UCL's English language entry requirements.

Please refer to this webpage for full eligibility criteria: Mechanical Engineering MPhil/PhD

How to apply

Eligible applicants should first contact Dr Sara Abad (s.abad-guaman@ucl.ac.uk). Please enclose the following documents:

• A maximum two-page research proposal that notes the selected research topic, demonstrates an understanding of the background to the area and outlines the questions that you are interested in researching.
• Two-pages curriculum vitae (including contact details of two referees).
• Cover letter (one page) explaining why the candidate is interested in applying for this studentship.

After discussing the project with Dr Abad, eligible applicants should also submit a formal PhD application via the UCL website.

The supervisory team will arrange interviews for short-listed candidates.

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