The Instrumentation, Photonics and Control (IPC) research group is comprised of a mixture of well experienced and young, vibrant academics within the School of Engineering Mathematics and Physics.
The Instrumentation, Photonics and Control (IPC) Research Group at the University of Kent works in three complementary research themes – Instrumentation, Photonics and Control. The group has made considerable endeavours to solve challenging measurement, monitoring, signal processing and control problems through applied research programmes with support from a range of funding bodies and industry. The group has established long term partnerships with the power generation, manufacturing, clean energy and healthcare industries.
Our Research Themes
Instrumentation
- process sensors, intelligent instrumentation, embedded systems
- smart condition monitoring, digital image processing
- data fusion, data modelling
Photonics
- Optical fibre and photonic sensors
- Ultrafast optical imaging and time-stretch systems
- Microwave photonics and RF sensing
- Optical and photonic intelligent computing
Control
- Intelligent sliding mode control of networked systems
- Robust observer design and parameters estimation of nonlinear interconnected power systems
- Robust advanced control with applications to robotic systems
Impact & Collaboration
Our research delivers impact through:
- Partnerships with industrial innovators and SMEs
- Translation of lab prototypes to field-deployable systems
- Contributions to net-zero energy, healthcare diagnostics, and digital communications
- Training the next generation of engineers and researchers
We welcome collaboration with academic groups, companies, and public organisations. Explore our projects, publications, and facilities to learn more.
Join Us
We are always keen to hear from talented students and researchers.
- PhD and postdoctoral opportunities
- Visiting researcher programmes
- Industry-sponsored projects and placements
👉 Find current opportunities and contact details on our Join Us page.