Professor Sumeet S. Aphale

Biography

I am a registered Chartered Engineer with the IET. I also volunteer as a Professional Registration Advisor (PRA) and as a Professional Registration Interviewer (PRI) for prospective IEng and CEng applicants for the IET.

My non-academic interests are trekking, nature and wildlife photography, travelling and martial arts.

Prizes and Awards

• Principal's Excellence Award for Outstanding Postgraduate Research Supervisor - 2023
• Best Paper Award, AsiaSim - 2017
• Best Paper Award Finalist, Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics - 2008
• Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honors Society - 2003
• Top 5 UG GPA - 1999

Research Overview

I am the Founder and Director of the Artificial intelligence, Robotics and Mechatronic Systems Group (ARMS).

I specialize in the expansive realms of Robotics, Mechatronics, and Applied Control. My passion lies in the creation, experimentation, measurement, and enhancement of novel system designs, sensing strategies, and control algorithms. These innovations consistently result in significant performance advancements across diverse technology-driven domains, including parallel manipulators, flexible and soft robots, scanning probe microscopes, nanopositioning devices, biomedical systems, smart structures, precise multi-system alignment, drill-strings, and optical focusing equipment, among others.

My approach revolves around the development of straightforward, practical, and implementable solutions for seemingly intricate challenges. I actively seek opportunities for both industrial and academic collaborations, aiming to enrich, facilitate, and advance my research. As a Chartered Engineer, I've leveraged my expertise through various consultancies, collaborating with high-tech and Oil and Gas companies to foster technology development and seamless knowledge transfer.

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. My work contributes towards the following SDG(s): 

Current Research

My current research / consultancy projects focus on:

• Novel control designs for a wide range of systems including (but not limited to):
  • Nanopositioners
  • Soft Robots (Dielectric Elastomer as well as Pneumatically actuated)
  • Self-balancing wheeled and multi-legged robots
  • Flexible / lightweight pick and place robots
  • Active Vibration Isolation / Control (AVI / AVC)
  • Structural Vibration Mitigation
  • Renewable and Traditional Electrical Power Systems
  • MEMS
  • Drill-strings and other highly nonlinear systems
• Sensing, Instrumentation, Control and Automation for O&G and wider industry focussing on:
  • Digital twins for specific sensors / subsystems
  • Signal Processing and Data Analysis
  • Novel actuator / sensor design
  • Dynamic analysis and feasibility studies

I am always interested in probing new ideas. It is quite possible that I may not know of your work but, if you think a collaboration is possible, please drop me an email.

External Examiner at:

• Robert Gordon University, UK
• University of Adelaide, Australia
• University of New South Wales, Australia
• University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
• Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain
• Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India

Visitors:

• Mr Chiweta Emmanuel Abunike (Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Nigeria): March 2022 - February 2023
• Dr Geng Wang (Henan Polytechnic University, China): January 2020 - January 2021
• Ms Linlin Li (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China): 1st May - 31st October 2019
• Mr Paul Antoine (ENSTA Paris Tech, France) : June - July 2017
• Dr Andres San-Millan (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) : 1st May - 30th July 2016
• Dr Andres San-Millan (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) : 1st May - 30th July 2014
• Prof. Paul Reynolds (University of Exeter, UK) : May 2012
• Prof. Andrew J. Fleming (University of Newcastle, Australia) : July 2011
• Dr Emiliano Pereira Gonzales (University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) : May - June 2010

Past Research

• Control of Gough-Stewart Platforms (Hexapods)
• Robust Kinematic Design of fault-tolerant Gough-Stewart Platforms (Octopods)
• Energy Harvesting via smart materials

Knowledge Exchange

• Successfully delivered ~10 Interface projects for local industries
• Led industrial consultancy projects for Aker, BP, Proserv, Baker Hughes, Swire energy Services, Aramco Overseas, etc
• Leading a KTP project aimed at new electrical technology for subsea applications
• Contributing to a KTP project aimed at using explainable AI to improve industrial decision making.
• Leading academic for a large Innovate UK project aimed at improving packaging robot performance.

Collaborations

• Prof. Paul Reynolds, Vibration Engineering Section, Exeter University, UK.
• Prof. Quan Zhu, UWE-Bristol, UK.
• Prof. Vicente Feliu Batlle, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.
• Prof. Andrew J. Fleming, Precision Mechatronics Lab, University of Newcastle, Australia.
• Prof. Guoying Gu, Robotics Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
• Prof. Limin Zhu, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Systems and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
• Dr. Emiliano Pereira Gonzalez, University of Alcala, Spain.
• Assoc. Prof. Bharath Bhikkaji, Indian Institute of Technology - Chennai, India.
• Prof. Abdus Samad, Indian Institute of Technology - Chennai, India.
• Prof. Antoine Ferreira, LVR ENSI de Bourges, France.
• Prof. Santosh Devasia, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
• Prof. Kam K. Leang, University of Utah - Salt Lake City, USA.

Funding and Grants

My research has received support from a variety of esteemed sources, including EPSRC, SFC, Innovate UK, the Spanish Government, and NSFC (China). I have also engaged in several industrial consultancies with prominent companies such as BP, Aramco Overseas, Aker, Swire Energy Services, and LeapAI. Additionally, I have benefited from PhD and post-doctoral scholarships from organizations like ETP, PTDF (Nigeria), the Government of India, Commonwealth, and CSC (China), enabling me to recruit and collaborate with top international talent.

Teaching Responsibilities

Courses

• EE3053 - (3^rd year) Signals, Systems and Signal Processing
• EE501T/B - (5^th year) Advanced Control Engineering
• EG507C/D - (MSc) Subsea Production and Control

Thesis Supervision

• MEng / BEng in EEE / Mech+Elec
• MSc in Subsea / Renewable Energy / Industrial Robotics

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

• Programme Leader - MSc in Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (2024 - present)
• Programme Leader - MSc in Industrial Robotics (2021 - present)
• Personal Tutor for ~20 UG students (2014 - present)
• Programme Leader UG Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2020 - 2022)
• Deputy Programme Leader UG Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2015 - 2020)
• Examination Officer (PGT Programmes), School of Engineering (2014 - 2021)