Looking for a Research topic at PhD level in mechanical engineering

[Beliver]

Can you help me what can be the science contribution in mechanical engineering in the Research field robotics and automation?

 

[jtbell]

Are you looking for a research topic? At which level: undergraduate, MSc, PhD?

 

[Beliver]

Yes, I look for a Research topic.I am at PhD level in mechanical engineering.Have you any idea for a Research topic.I thank you very much.

 

[berkeman]

Can you help me what can be the science contribution in mechanical engineering in the Research field robotics and automation?

Yes, I look for a Research topic.I am at PhD level in mechanical engineering.Have you any idea for a Research topic.I thank you very much.

I modified your thread title to make it more descriptive of what you are asking here in this thread.

Please tell us much more about your background and interests. What projects have you worked on while at university and during the summers?

 

[ZapperZ]

Yes, I look for a Research topic.I am at PhD level in mechanical engineering.Have you any idea for a Research topic.I thank you very much.

Shouldn't this be something you discuss with your PhD advisor? There is no point in us suggesting all these various topics IF you do not have a faculty member to supervise your work. But then again, because you neglected to elaborate on where you are, who knows what requirement your school has on such a thing.

Zz.

 

[Beliver]

My interests are in robotics and automation.I am doctoral student.I am not involved in any University project because I am self financed citzen.I am researching to achive PhD level.

 

[ZapperZ]

My interests are in robotics and automation.I am doctoral student.I am not involved in any University project because I am self financed citzen.I am researching to achive PhD level.

This is getting to be very strange and confusing. How are you a "doctoral student" but you are not enrolled in any educational institution? A "student", by definition, is enrolled in such an educational institution. Shouldn't that educational institution have guidelines and rules for it to confer a doctoral degree? Doesn't this include a faculty member who supervises the "doctoral student's" work?

Zz.

 

[Beliver]

Yes, you have right. I have found PhD advisor.He told me, that is up to me.In another words I have to find by my self Research topics,PhD capture and other factors.

 

[Beliver]

You do not understand me.I am enrolled in educational institution.But I have no bussiness with government projects.

 

[ZapperZ]

You do not understand me.I am enrolled in educational institution.But I have no bussiness with government projects.

You are right. I don't understand you. I don't understand what "business with government projects" or "self finance citizen" have anything to do with what I asked you.

Zz.

 

[Beliver]

Yes, there are rules.But I would like to point out that I alone have to find PhD Research topic.So no help from University advisors and members.Do you trying to help me.I Wonder myself.Otherwise thank you.

 

[Beliver]

Please, do not repeat my words.I am aware what I have said.I am searcing for help.That is all.I will provide you all necessary informations.

 

[berkeman]

My interests are in robotics and automation.I am doctoral student.

What PhD-level topics can you list in these areas of your interest? What other theses have you read in these subjects? I imagine there must be quite a few well-done theses in these categories -- perhaps you can use them to help you get ideas for your thesis work...

 

[berkeman]

Also, what other thesis work have you seen by PhD ME candidates at your university? What have been some of the topics over the past 5 years or so? How many PhDs have been granted by your ME department in the last 5 years?

 

[Choppy]

Some general tips on finding a PhD research topic:

1. Supervisors will expect the students to do their own legwork. By that I mean that the students are expect to read up on the field, understand what the current big problems are and what people are doing to address them. They might even ask that the student write up a proposal. Sometimes this is informal. The supervisors use is as a starting point for the PhD project, then critique the proposal and offer feedback in a series of iterations until the student has an outline that both can agree on. In other programs this can be a formal part of the candidacy examinations. Generally though, the supervisor should be providing at least some guidance. If your supervisor expects you to do this completely on your own - this might be a flag to change supervisors.
2. Realize that although the question may seem open ended, you are subject to some constraints. First, the project really needs to fall within your supervisor's area of expertise. This is where he or she will be able to offer the most mentorship. If it's only tangential to your supervisor's work, you need to make sure that someone in your department (and on your supervisory committee) has that expertise. So - this means that the first step is to read up on the recent work your supervisor and other people in your department have done. You should also talk to them about what they are currently working on. This will narrow your focus considerably.
3. Other constraints include funding and equipment. Does your supervisor have a lab? Does he or she have an iCub that most student projects are based on?
4. See Berkman's advice above. Review what other PhD students have successfully done.
5. You have to be well read in your field to begin with - to the best of your ability. If you don't have your own interests yet, you need to be reading more.
6. Think about what you will get out of the project and not just the project itself. What skills will you develop and how will these impact your career?

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Picking viable research topics is always a matter of matching 1) available resources 2) personal interests and capabilities 3) supervisor/mentor interests and abilities and 4) areas of interest in the field.

Students tend to focus on their personal interests without an honest assessment of their own capabilities or the available resources, yet these are the biggest constraints.

Personally, I often take a resource approach to new research topics. If I have a high speed video camera and an interest in ballistics, I would find an interesting problem in ballistics to use the high speed video camera on. If I have high speed pressure transducers and an interest in explosions, I would find an interesting way to blow stuff up and measured what happens. "What can I do with the available tools?" has been a more productive approach for me than "What problem would I like to solve with equipment and money that I do not have?"

But skills and computers and software are tools also. There are many interesting problems in Mech E to which various modeling approaches can be productively applied on a limited budget, because the computers and modeling software may already be available.

 

[Beliver]

Thank you all.This could help me.