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Robotics, Automation, Control Engineering
United Kingdom

Biography

Prof Chakravarthini Mini Saaj is the Global Chair in Robotic Engineering at the University of Lincoln, UK. Mini joined the University of Lincoln in September 2019 and she is the head of the Industrial Digitalisation and System Intelligence (IDSI) research group within the School of Engineering. She is a member of the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS) and the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT).

Mini is a Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey where, previously, she was an Associate Professor (Reader) in Robotics, the Head of Robotics and Control research group and the Director of Post Graduate Research (PhD) Programme at the Surrey Space Centre; she was with the Surrey Space Centre from 2005 to 2019. Further, Mini was a Visiting Research Associate at King's College London from 2005 to 2007 and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Germany from 2002-2003.

As a research-active academic, Mini has coordinated and authored many successful research proposals; these were in collaboration with over forty leading national and international research groups. She has raised over £4.4M, as PI and Co-I, on Robotics and Control research projects funded by European Commission, Airbus Defence and Space, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, Innovate UK, Ceres, European Space Agency, CEOI, Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, the Nigerian Space Agency and other sources. She is an external evaluator for various funding agencies and she is active in marked-led cross-sector technology transfer applications of Robotics and Automation research spanning Agri-Food, Nuclear, Medical, Energy and Mining industries. In addition to having 108 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications, she has successfully supervised 15 full-time post-doctoral Research Fellows/Associates and 11 PhD students. She continues to deliver keynote/invited lectures at various international conferences and workshops.

Activities

Employment (10)

University of Lincoln: Lincoln, Lincolnshire, GB

2019-09-09 to present | Professor & Global Chair in Robotic Engineering; Head of Industrial Digitalisation and System Intelligence research group (Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

2017-04-01 to 2019-08-31 | Associate Professor (Reader) in Robotics; Head of Robotics and Control group (Surrey Space Centre)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

2013-04-01 to 2017-03-31 | Senior Lecturer in Robotics (Surrey Space centre)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

2007-07-01 to 2013-03-31 | Lecturer in Robotics (Surrey Space Centre)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay: Mumbai, Maharashtra, IN

2004-04-02 to 2010-10-01 | Senior Guest Researcher ( Interdisciplinary Programme in Systems and Control Engineering)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

2005-03-30 to 2007-06-30 | Research Fellow (Surrey Space Centre)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

King's College London: London, London, GB

2004-10-04 to 2006-10-02 | Visiting Research Associate (Centre for Mechatronics & Manufacturing Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg: Hamburg, Hamburg, DE

2002-12-01 to 2003-11-30 | Research Fellow (Institute of Control Engineering, )
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay: Mumbai, Maharashtra, IN

1999-07-05 to 2002-10-30 | Teaching Assistant (Interdisciplinary Programme in Systems and Control Engineering)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

National Institute of Technology Calicut: Kozhikode, Kerala, IN

1999-01-01 to 1999-03-31 | Lecturer (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Education and qualifications (5)

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

2007-07-10 to 2009-06-10 | Post Graduate Certificate in Advanced Practice
Qualification
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay: Mumbai, Maharashtra, IN

1999-07-07 to 2002-11-25 | Ph. D in Control Engineering (Systems and Control Engineering)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

University of Surrey: Guildford, Surrey, GB

1997-10-01 to 1999-09-30 | Post Graduate Certificate in Advanced Practice (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

College of Engineering Trivandrum: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, IN

1997-06-01 to 1999-06-30 | Master of Technology in Control Systems (85.2% and University First Rank) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

College of Engineering Trivandrum: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, IN

1992-10-01 to 1996-10-01 | Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (76.9%) (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Professional activities (6)

University of Surrey: Guildford, GB

2019-01-09 to present | Visiting Professor (Surrey Space Centre)
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Reston, VA, US

2012-03-15 to present | Senior Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: Piscataway, New Jersey, US

2010-06-10 to present | Senior Member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Higher Education Academy: London, GB

2009-09-15 to present | Fellow
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Engineering Council: London, London, GB

2007-07-10 to present | Chartered Engineer
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Institute of Engineering and Technology : London, GB

2006-03-04 to present | Member
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Funding (25)

Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robotic Manipulators for Space - RoboScope

2018-10 to 2022-09 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Science Research Council and Airbus DS (Stevenage, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Robotic Orbital Assembly and Maintenance of Large Space Telescope

2018-10 to 2022-03 | Grant
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and University of Surrey (GUILDFORD, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Nimble: Development of a Gimbaled Zoom Video Camera

2018-05 to 2019-09 | Grant
11th CEOI call for Earth Observation Technology and Instrument Development (Harwell, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

A New Generation of Deployable Optical Systems to Increase Small Satellite Capability

2017-05 to 2018-08 | Grant
10th CEOI call for Earth Observation Technology and Instrument Development (Harwell, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

UK-RAS Equipment Funding

2016-11 to 2017-03 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Controlled Approach and Capturing of a Spacecraft using a Robotic Spacecraft

2015-10 to 2019-03 | Grant
Algerian Space Agency, UK Space Agency and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (Algeria, Harwell, Guildford, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Soft Robotic Uterine Manipulator

2013-04 to 2018-04 | Grant
Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur , MY)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

SysML MOTIVE: SysML based spacecraft power management function MOdelling, Testing, Integration, Verification and Execution

2013-03 to 2015-02 | Grant
Airbus Defence and Space (Les Mureaux, FR)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Autonomous Assembly of a Reconfigurable Space Telescope (AAReST) for Astronomy and Earth Observation: Spacecraft Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking Ground-Based Test-Bed

2012-10 to 2013-09 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

EU FP7 STIFF-FLOP: STIFFness controllable Flexible and Learn-able Manipulator for surgical Operation

2012-01 to 2015-12 | Grant
European Commission (Brussels, BE)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

EU FP7 FASTER: Forward Acquisition of Soil and Terrain data for Exploration Rover

2011-11 to 2014-10 | Grant
European Commission (Brussels, BE)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

SysML based solar panel modeling

2011-09 to 2013-08 | Grant
Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey (GUILDFORD, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Mobility Analysis of a Legged Micro-Fetch Rover on Compressible Planetary Soils

2010-10 to 2014-12 | Grant
European Space Agency (Noordwijk, NL)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

System Modelling and Requirements Verification of Robotic Spacecraft

2010-08 to 2012-11 | Grant
Airbus Defence and Space (Bremen, DE)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Towards Innovative Surface Mobility Systems for Next Generation Planetary Rovers

2009-10 to 2012-10 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Airbus DS (Swindon, Stevenage, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Reference soil characterisation for ExoMars rover locomotion subsystem

2009-10 to 2010-03 | Grant
Airbus Defence and Space (Stevenage, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Develop System Modelling of Robotic Elements Focusing on Martian Surface Sample Collection project

2009-05 to 2009-11 | Grant
Royal Academy of Engineering and Airbus Defence and Space (Stevenage, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Path planning and control of micro-rover swarms for planetary exploration missions

2009-04 to 2014-03 | Grant
Nigerian Space Agency (Abuja, NG)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Small satellite formation flying: Innovative and low cost control technologies

2009-04 to 2011-03 | Grant
Royal Society (London, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Lunar Robotics Challenge

2008-06 to 2008-10 | Grant
European Space Agency (Noordwijk, NL)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Magnolia-1: A low cost pin-point landing system for planetary landers

2007-10 to 2008-09 | Grant
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and Mississippi State University, US ( Mississippi , US)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Autonomous Navigation and Control of Planetary Rovers

2007-10 to 2008-05 | Grant
Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey (GUILDFORD, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Electrostatic Forces for Satellite Swarm Navigation and Reconfiguration

2006-01 to 2006-06 | Contract
European Space Agency (Noordwijk, NL)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

The Science and Technology behind Galileo- Europe’s GPS

2005-03 to 2006-02 | Grant
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, GB)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj

Identification of Linear Parameter-Varying Models for Gain-Scheduling Control

2002-12 to 2003-11 | Grant
Technical University Hamburg Harburg (Hamburg, DE)
Source: Self-asserted source
M Rai or C M Saaj