Project Details
Description
There is a rapidly developing worldwide interest in nano-scale fabrication as evidenced by recent research activity in North America, Germany and Japan. This area is of potential significance to the UK as recognised in various projections from the Technology Strategy Board. These developments provide an opportunity to utilise the applicants' expertise in the modelling and motion control of complex multi-degree-of-freedom mechatronic systems to fulfil the requirements of manufacturing processes that involve high-precision manipulation and fabrication. This fairly recent development in the USA is funded from Government sources, particularly the NSF, and industry. This broad funding base demonstrates both the fundamental nature of the engineering research in this topic and its potential for wealth generation. The Proposal is focused on a projected visit to North America, where there is a number of key academic and industrial research centres located around Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In total, visits will be made to eight universities and two companies. Discussions will focus on precision motion control as required for high value manufacturing. The purpose of the Overseas Travel Grant is to facilitate visits to a selected group of centres of expertise to understand the industrial "drivers" in North America for this research and relate these to the needs of the UK. A key objective is to establish a framework for collaboration with leading research institutes and to identify the areas where the applicants' expertise can make a significant contribution to this developing area. This will provide a mechanism for the exchange of personnel and the development of integrated research programmes. In this context it is of vital importance to determine the long term research objectives of the various programmes and in particular their perceived industrial significance. It is planned to use this knowledge to stimulate the establishment of a UK based Research Network to encompass relevant university groups and industrial partners.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 1/06/12 → 31/10/12 |
Funding
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
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