Application deadline: 1 October 2023 (though can be filled earlier)Lead Supervisor: Chris R Reid, Macquarie University, Sydney, AustraliaBackground: Construction and manufacturing can be dangerous, wasteful industries — prime candidates for automation by teams of mobile robot builders. However, our understanding of how to program robots for teamwork is limited. This project aims to understand how colonies of weaver ants build complex silk nest structures using decentralised, self-organised processes.The project: The first phase will utilise individual tracking techniques to follow worker positions, coupled with frequent 3D-scanning of the emerging nest structure, to characterise the individual-level behaviours and interaction rules used at each stage of construction. This data will be used to assemble a theoretical framework, validated by simulation modelling and robophysical tools, that explicitly links individual-level behaviour to team-based coordination and stage transitions, and finally emergent structural outcomes. This framework will be transformational in our understanding of a range of other complex systems in nature and engineering. Insights from the biology and modelling phases of the project will be combined to deliver the first generation of bio-inspired robots that use teamwork to adaptively 3D-print complex structures without the need for oversight or pre-planning.The investigation spans concepts of behavioural ecology, computational science and robotic engineering, and candidates with experience in one or more of these fields will be desirable.This is a fully funded PhD position open to students worldwide.How to apply:Please follow the instructions at: https://www.mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/scholarships/scholarship-search/data/swarm-construction-ant-inspired-processes-for-teams-of-building-robots-internationalContact info:Dr Chris R Reid / chris.reid@mq.edu.au