The Codan Founders' Scholarship program was created to honour the legacy of three University of Adelaide graduates – Ian Wall, Alastair Wood and Jim Bettison – whose South Australian-based company, Codan, has become established as a global leader in electronics solutions. Through this initiative, Codan is supporting exceptional PhD candidates to undertake applied research programs in the fields of electrical and mechanical engineering at the University of Adelaide. The University welcomes applications for an open opportunity under this program, for an industry PhD with Minelab.

Semi-autonomous Metal Detector - Industry PhD with Minelab

Project description

Metal detectors are used in many contexts and environments to locate objects of interest, from prospecting for gold nuggets in the Australian outback, to treasure-hunting for artifacts of historical significance. Metal detectors are also used in the clearing of landmines and unexploded ordnance that are left behind by modern conflicts.

Minelab, a leading manufacturer of hand-held metal detection technologies, has collaborated with researchers at the University of Adelaide to develop this industry PhD opportunity, to explore the use of semi-autonomous robots to increase the rate of discovery of objects of interest. These robots could, in principle, take on many roles in the target discovery process including, but not limited to, rapidly locating and flagging potential objects of interest in a geographic area for further inspection by a human or robot operator, and further performing a thorough analysis of a flagged location to confirm the presence of an object of interest.

Research objectives

The PhD project may involve several research areas, including but not limited to

• Control systems for end-effector dynamics & kinematics, to maximise the signal-to-noise ratio of the metal detector, isolate the metal detector from vehicle-borne disturbances, and to investigate efficient trajectory generation for “honing in” on signals detected.
• Decision and control systems for surveying a region to assist a human operator.
• A study of the trade-offs of various robotic platforms and sensors, considering their ability to navigate the terrain, provide precision localisation information for data fusion with the metal detector, and colocate with the metal detector, in addition to size, weight, and power considerations.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to refine the project scope in collaboration with University and industry supervisors. Alongside their research project, they will also undertake a three-month internship at Minelab, working with the company's researchers on associated R&D projects.

Scholarship

The successful candidate will receive a Codan Founders' Scholarship of $42,500 p.a., for 3.75 years. It is likely to be tax exempt, subject to Taxation Office approval. Details of terms and benefits will be provided to the candidate in their Conditions of Award.

Supervision

The PhD candidate will work with a supervisory panel consisting of:

• Dr Will Robertson, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide
• Associate Professor David Harvey, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide
• Dr Phil Wahrlich, Chief Scientist, Minelab

Eligibility criteria

This opportunity is open to candidates who can meet the requirements for PhD admission at the University of Adelaide, and who can demonstrate suitable experience in a related field (through a high quality Honours or Masters degree). The successful candidate must be able to enrol as a full-time PhD student at the University in the year of the offer. They must remain based in Adelaide, South Australia for the duration of the award.

Application process:
To apply, please email the following documents to Dr Will Robertson (will.robertson@adelaide.edu.au) with the name of the scholarship in the subject line:

• CV
• Cover Letter (of not more than 2 pages) outlining your interest in the PhD project and describing how your background and research area align with the project
• Degree certificates and relevant academic transcripts, with translations of non-English documentation

Further information

For more information about this opportunity, and eligibility requirements, please contact HDR Industry Enquiries.