Fibre-Based Next Generation Magnetic Vine Robots

This fully funded PhD position will reward the successful candidate with an award covering full fees, a maintenance stipend in line with UKRI rates, and a Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) grant worth 10,000 GBP for personal development and consumables. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to join the PGR community in the School of Design and access training and support for their specialism. This PhD project will investigate a new manufacturing approach for magnetic vine robots, a recent development in soft robotics inspired by the movement and growth of climbing plants. These flexible, tube-like robots can extend, bend, and steer through narrow and complex spaces, making them well suited for applications such as minimally invasive medical procedures. The research will develop and evaluate a fibre-based manufacturing route that enables the creation of ultra-thin, high-performance magnetic vine robots. The successful applicant will join the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) and the Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Lab, working on innovative materials and manufacturing solutions with interdisciplinary researchers and industrial partners.