Nano-Precision Motion Control of Complex Multi Degree of Freedom Systems

最近在北美、德国和日本的研究活动证明，全世界对纳米尺度制造的兴趣正在迅速发展。正如技术战略委员会的各种预测所承认的那样，这一领域对英国具有潜在的重要意义。这些发展提供了利用申请人在复杂的多自由度机电系统的建模和运动控制方面的专业知识来满足涉及高精度操纵和制造的制造过程的要求的机会。美国最近的这一发展是由政府来源，特别是国家科学基金会和工业资助的。这一广泛的资金基础表明了该主题工程研究的基本性质及其创造财富的潜力。该提案的重点是预计访问北美，那里有一些主要的学术和工业研究中心位于休斯顿，洛杉矶和旧金山弗朗西斯科。总共将访问八所大学和两家公司。讨论将集中在高价值制造所需的精密运动控制。海外旅行补助金的目的是促进对选定的一组专业中心的访问，以了解北美这项研究的工业“驱动因素”，并将这些因素与联合王国的需求联系起来。一个关键目标是建立一个与主要研究机构合作的框架，并确定申请人的专门知识可以对这一发展中领域作出重大贡献的领域。这将为人员交流和制定综合研究方案提供一个机制。在这方面，至关重要的是确定各种方案的长期研究目标，特别是其预期的工业意义。计划利用这些知识促进建立一个以英国为基地的研究网络，以包括相关的大学团体和工业伙伴。

There is a rapidly developing worldwide interest in nano-scale fabrication as evidenced by recent research activity in North America, Germany and Japan. This area is of potential significance to the UK as recognised in various projections from the Technology Strategy Board. These developments provide an opportunity to utilise the applicants' expertise in the modelling and motion control of complex multi-degree-of-freedom mechatronic systems to fulfil the requirements of manufacturing processes that involve high-precision manipulation and fabrication. This fairly recent development in the USA is funded from Government sources, particularly the NSF, and industry. This broad funding base demonstrates both the fundamental nature of the engineering research in this topic and its potential for wealth generation. The Proposal is focused on a projected visit to North America, where there is a number of key academic and industrial research centres located around Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In total, visits will be made to eight universities and two companies. Discussions will focus on precision motion control as required for high value manufacturing. The purpose of the Overseas Travel Grant is to facilitate visits to a selected group of centres of expertise to understand the industrial "drivers" in North America for this research and relate these to the needs of the UK. A key objective is to establish a framework for collaboration with leading research institutes and to identify the areas where the applicants' expertise can make a significant contribution to this developing area. This will provide a mechanism for the exchange of personnel and the development of integrated research programmes. In this context it is of vital importance to determine the long term research objectives of the various programmes and in particular their perceived industrial significance. It is planned to use this knowledge to stimulate the establishment of a UK based Research Network to encompass relevant university groups and industrial partners.