Research
Mechatronics, Robotics & Control Laboratory
The Mechatronics, Robotics & Control Laboratory has developed some of the world’s most unique mechatronics and robotic systems including various mobile robots, advanced sensors and actuators, state-of-art control prototyping systems including dSpace, MatLab, and LabView. The Laboratory offers students the chance to work on challenging mechatronics research areas:
- 3d manufacturing of bio-scaffolds
- Bio-instrumentation and control, connecting control systems to human physiology
- Autonomous Guided Vehicle for agricultural production automation
- Unmanned Arial Vehicle for environmental monitoring
- Climbing robots for industrial inspection
- Unmanned Underwater Robot for oceanographic exploration and monitoring
- Machine vision applications
- Novel actuators, smart/active structure
Opportunities are available for mechatronics students to engage the research activities at difference levels: postgraduates, final year projects, summer employment, and international internships.
If any research area of Mechatronics, Robotics and Control is of interest to you, please contact Professor XiaoQi Chen, xiaoqi.chen@canterbury.ac.nz to discuss the research opportunities, or academic supervisors for specific research programmes
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology has multi-million dollar research laboratories containing molecular beam epitaxy and advanced lithography machines that are unique within New Zealand. These devices will be used to create the nano-machines of the future.
Research Projects
Mobile and Bionic Robots
- Development of Low-Cost UAV Systems for Environmental Monitoring & Management
- Drive, Navigation and Sensor Network for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles
- GPS-Guided Wheeld Robotic Systems for Outdoor Applications
- Climbing Robots
- Walking Machines
Assistive Devices
- Dynamic Stability Control of Front Wheel Drive Wheelchairs using Solid StateSensors
- Artificial Muscle for Assistance and Resistance
- Assistive Device for Rehabilitation
Bio-Instrumentation and Bio-Manufacturing
- Low Cost 3D Printer for Desktop Manufacturing of Bio-material Scaffolds (Dr Wenhui Wang)
- Automated tissue pellet seeding of 3D bio-scaffolds (Dr Tim Woodfield)
- Biomanipulation with microrobotics and haptics (Dr Wenhui Wang)
Instrumentation, Control, and Automation
- Energy Harvesting for Wireless Instrumentation
- Wireless Sensor Network for Real-Time Device Control
- Underwater echo and source location (Dr Peter Gough)
- Stirling Engine Electric Power Generation Programme (Dr Peter Gough)
- Process Automation
- Structural Health Monitoring and Control ( Dr Geoff Chase, Greg McRae)