History
The Intelligent Automation Centre has been formed from distinguished Mechatronics and Intelligent Automation research groups from within Loughborough University
Loughborough University has a long history of Mechatronics and Intelligent Automation research and innovation, which has enabled leading edge research dating back to the late 1980s. The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation was founded in 2011 to undertake research into how difficult manufacturing tasks posed challenges that had previously been unmet and to apply a blend of human cooperative automation. Following the conclusion of this project in 2017, the current Intelligent Automation Centre was formed to continue and extend research in this area.
The TRL 1-3 work carried out by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation between 2011-17 set the benchmark for industry driven research activity, with progression from TRL 3 to TRL 6 via the HVM Catapult, specifically via The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
During that time, the EPSRC Centre had 10 RAs and 30 PhD students supervised by 6 academic staff, including the Centre Director, Professor Mike Jackson. 50 TRL 1-3 projects were completed, including automated visual inspection, intelligent metrology, automated adaptive TIG Welding, agile automated flexible and adaptive panel forming, and automated and adaptive threaded fastener assembly. The major goal for all projects was to provide automation that could work adaptively on manufacturing tasks that require skilled workers to achieve high quality output, often in difficult, dangerous and dirty conditions, especially where repetitive and adaptive activity was required.
In 2014, the EPSRC Centre extended its capabilities by recruiting two Associate Directors as Senior Lecturers: Dr Niels Lohse, with a strong Manufacturing Automation and Informatics background, and Dr Peter Kinnell, who brought invaluable experience in metrology and sensor capability focused on Intelligent Metrology.
Upon completion of the EPSRC funded project in 2017, the current Intelligent Automation Centre was formed in order to continue and further develop this research; it encompasses academic staff and research staff from the original Centre and is now led by Dr Niels Lohse, Director and Reader in Manufacturing Automation and Robotics.