Edd Gough

Email: uw19164@bristol.ac.uk

Supervisors: Jonathan Rossiter & Andrew Conn

PhD Project Title: DuctBot: Soft robots for underground network ducts

Research Group: Soft Robotics

Biography

After studying fine arts and design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, I moved to Bristol to study mechanical engineering. Over time I realised that by combining my taste for dynamic sculptures with the technical knowledge I had been developing, I had inadvertently become interested in robotics. My specific interest in soft robotics arose from medical related projects, such as my undergraduate dissertation involving compliant prosthetic sockets, followed by working as a research associate on a project to develop an implantable medical device.

My PhD research is focused on the navigation and maintenance of underground ducts. The starting point of this study is to take bioinspiration from natural systems such as snakes, worms and insects. This project has the potential to make a great impact in civil engineering operations.