Computer Science: Fully Funded EPSRC DTP PhD Scholarship: Robotic third arm for harvesting assistance (RS625)

Funding providers: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) and Swansea University's Faculty of Science and Engineering

Subject areas: Intelligent Robotics

Project start date: 

• 1 October 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Supervisors:

• Primary Supervisor- Dr Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico
• Secondary Supervisor- Professor Xianghua Xie

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Computer Science

Mode of study: Full-time 

Project description: 

Swansea University, an internationally recognised academic institution with strong commitments to research and technological innovation, seeks applications for a PhD scholarship funded position to join our rapidly developing Intelligent Robotics Group at the Computer Science Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering. The development of Intelligent Robotics for real-world applications, cutting across the domains of assisted living and modern agriculture, is one of our research group’s goals. Tentacle project is a fascinating initiative that aims to develop a sophisticated robotic arm capable of assisting harvesting tasks. Through computer vision, the Tentacle arm will be able to recognize if a product (such as a fruit or a vegetable) is ready for picking and assist the picking task. The Tentacle arm and the human-picker are supposed to cooperate, with the arm assisting the picking process while the human-picker carries the arm throughout the plantation. By leveraging the unique capabilities of both robots and humans, this collaborative approach aims to optimize the harvesting process, minimize losses resulting from premature harvesting, and expedite the overall picking process. Join us and participate in this exciting project. At Swansea University you will do more than just research; at Swansea University you will positively be impacting people’s lives and the environment. 

Candidates must hold a UK bachelor’s degree with a minimum of Upper Second Class honours or overseas bachelor’s degree deemed equivalent to UK honours (by UK ECCTIS) and achieved a grade equivalent to UK Upper Second Class honours in Computer Science, Mathematics or a closely related discipline, OR an appropriate master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements (see country specific qualifications). Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency. 

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations.  

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in. 

This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend of £19,237.

Additional research expenses will also be available.

To apply, please complete your application online with the following information:

1. Course choice – please select Computer Science / PhD / Full-time / 3 Year / October

   In the event you have already applied for the above programme previously, the application system may issue a warning notice and prevent application, in this event, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk where staff will be happy to assist you in submitting your application.

2. Start year – please select 2024
3. Funding (page 8) –

• ‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select No
• ‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter ‘RS625 - Robotic third arm’

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

We encourage you to complete the following to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University: 

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form (online form) 

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via e-mail). We strongly advise you to provide the listed supporting documents by the advertised application closing date. Please note that your application may not be considered without the documents listed:

• CV
• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)
• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
• Two references (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).
• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)
• Confirmation of EDI form submission (optional) 

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.