Samuel Schaefer

Research Interests

Sam’s research interests centre around robotics. These include the design of robotic devices and control systems, modelling materials and processes, application of cutting-edge autonomous technology to infrastructure management, and deployment of cyber-physical infrastructure including multi-robot systems. 

Strategic Themes

• Robotic Maintenance: Development of data-driven robotic maintenance for the civil engineering sector. Exploration of methods relating to autonomous and semi-autonomous highway maintenance. 
• Autonomous Systems Modelling: Computer simulation of autonomous systems using physics- and geometry-based techniques. Design of control systems for construction material manipulation. 
• Cyber-Physical Infrastructure: Linking digital representations and decision making with physical infrastructure assets. Formulation of robotic interventions compatible with the National Digital Twin. Orchestration of multi-robot systems. 

Research Project

Regular highway maintenance is necessary to prevent severe road degradation, but it is currently a dangerous task for the workforce. Automating key elements of the repair process can remove workers from the road, reducing the risk of workers being injured or killed by motorists or work vehicles. This requires robotic devices capable of locating and reaching the damaged area, interacting with uneven road surfaces, and manipulating deformable materials. 

Recent advances in the field of robotics may be able to address critical issues of previous attempts, but they remain to be implemented in this unique and challenging use-case. Further, object manipulation is still a difficult task for machines, especially in such uncertain environments. Finally, the outcomes of automated repair and the scope of a robot’s functionality require significant improvements if the repair is to meet the strict standards for use on motorways and A-roads. 

Methods involved in automated maintenance will be investigated as proof-of-concepts in simulation and physical prototypes, with the aim of transferring these academic findings to real-world improvements in England’s highway maintenance portfolio. Such methods include: 3D printing or extruding cementitious and bituminous materials; filling surface cracks; defect detection and localisation, in conjunction with the ‘digital twin’ approach to asset management. 

Biography

Sam Schaefer is an MRes + PhD student at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (FIBE2 CDT). Working within the Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory (BIRL), his research looks into autonomous maintenance of highways. The project is supervised by Prof Fumiya Iida and Dr Thomas George Thuruthel, and supported by National Highways as part of the Digital Roads of the Future initiative. 

Sam graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MEng in Engineering, specialising in Control & Instrumentation, Bioengineering, and Mechanical Engineering. While studying, he received several awards, including the Mandawewala Prize for the best Part IIA Engineering result in Homerton College. Between academic years, Sam undertook placements in robotics, AI and healthcare with AB Dynamics, Monolith AI, and Crux Product Design.