The RMIT Post-Carbon Research Centre is offering a PhD opportunity focused on Prefab and Robotics, with a strong emphasis on Vision-AI and autonomous adaptive assembly systems for the modular construction sector. The research aims to develop a closed-loop feedback ecosystem where industrial robots use real-time artificial intelligence to perceive, identify, and validate structural components during the manufacturing process. This project addresses the limitations of current modular systems, which often lack real-time correction and automated quality assurance.

Key research challenges include developing perception-actuation loops for real-time AI-vision systems, creating digital audit trails for automated QA and regulatory compliance using digital twin environments, and optimizing decarbonisation pathways to minimize embodied carbon through zero-waste manufacturing logic. The technical stack involves computational design (advanced Rhino Grasshopper with Python and C#), vision-AI (point cloud processing and 3D pose estimation with OpenCV and PyTorch), robotics (development within ROS or COMPAS frameworks), and systems integration (linking AI-verified milestones to digital certification and finance triggers).

The ideal candidate will work at the intersection of architecture, engineering, and computer science, mastering a toolkit that prepares them for product-ready research and development. The research is a core pillar of the Post-Carbon Research Centre’s mission to uplift sovereign manufacturing capabilities, reduce certification costs, improve digital interoperability, and accelerate capital flow across the prefab value chain. Interested candidates or industry partners are encouraged to contact Associate Professor Jonathan Tran for more information.