Post-doctoral position Active Vibration Isolation, Robustness and further applications

The challenge

Many modern manufacturing methods require precision at micrometre or even nanometre level, such as laser machining, optical and imprint lithography. At such levels of accuracy floor vibrations significantly affect precision. In previous research and an ongoing PhD project, self-tuning disturbance feedforward control is proposed as a method to reduce the effect of floor vibrations while keeping sensitivity to direct disturbances low as well. The approach is similar to methods used in active noise control. The current research focusses on several issues hindering the (industrial) applicability of this control method for AVIS. Research topics include fundamental limitations and trade-offs in the AVIS performance, stability bounds in relation to the (parasitic) isolator, floor and machine dynamics and robust convergence conditions of the self-tuning. You will contribute to advancing this research.

Besides the aforementioned main challenge, for 20% of the time, you will explore the potential for new research collaboration between the University of Twente and the VU Amsterdam. This collaboration is to connect the advanced precision engineering research at the UT (in particular AVIS, nonlinear finite element modelling, flexure design and mechatronic co-optimisation) to the application in gravitational wave detectors researched at the VU (in particular sensing low-frequency motions). Also, further areas of application are to be explored. This work should result in one or more research proposals to acquire funding for collaborative research.

Job Description

For this project, we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with relevant expertise. You will contribute to the research on enhancing the robustness of AVIS by developing novel methods and algorithms. This work is to be reported during regular internal meetings and meetings with project partners twice a year. Also, you are supposed to present the work at international scientific conferences and publish in academic literature. Furthermore, a proposal for funding future research is to be written. Finally, you are supposed to collaborate with the PhD researcher and MSc students working on the topic.