Engineering Projects
Want to be a space engineer?
If you are a Curtin undergraduate student interested in taking on one of the projects listed below to complete your final year or honours degree, please reach out to the listed supervisor or use our contact form to get in touch!
Embedded Reinforcement Learning for Cooperative Control
Description: The objective of this project is to develop a distributed control system for Binar spacecraft using four STM32 microcontrollers to manage a multi-resistor heater circuit. Each microcontroller will act as an autonomous agent, using multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithms to optimise communication, temperature regulation, and memory across the system whilst having a limited action space. The project explores how coordinated learning and decision-making in embedded agents can enable fault-tolerant control of physical systems without a specific device acting as the system controller or a specific hardened voting circuit.
Outputs: Python MARL training firmware, integrated STM32 heater control system, performance and thermal testing data, thesis progress report, undergraduate thesis, thesis presentation.
Suited to: This project is suitable for an applicant with some microcontroller or RTOS embedded systems programming experience, an interest in reinforcement learning, and some familiarity with control systems and electronics.
Supervisors: Will Blackie and Dr Robert Howie
Upgrading the Binar Space Program Spacecraft Platform
Description: The Binar Space Program is interested in upgrading its existing 1U CubeSat platform and developing a larger platform to expand its space research and development capabilities. In this project the student will research current state-of-the-art satellite platforms and make suggestions on which platforms are the most attractive to the future space industry. Once a platform has been identified, the student will conduct a technology review and identify areas where the Binar Space Program or global space ecosystem lack technology solutions and work with the Binar Space Program to develop a conceptual satellite subsystem for the chosen space platform.
Outputs: A report on existing small satellite technologies and an assessment of which are more applicable to the Binar Space Program, prototype satellite technology for larger spacecraft system, thesis progress report, undergraduate thesis, thesis presentation.
Suited to: Suited to applicants who have an interest in satellite technology and have skills in PCB, hardware, and embedded software design.
Supervisors: Dr Fergus Downey and Dr Lei Cui
Tracking the Movement of Oil and Gas Pipelines from Space
Description: The Binar Space Program has been engaging with a local design, build, and technology firm, Petritek, to explore satellite-based solutions to challenges experienced in the Perth community and vast industry. An area of interest identified was the tracking of Oil and Gas pipelines from space. In this project the student will explore the potential for tracking the movement of coloured pipelines underwater and determine if it is feasible to observe the pipelines from space. If a suitable solution is identified, the student will have the opportunity to begin developing and test the tracking system in collaboration with Petritek and the Binar Space Program.
Outputs: Selection of suitable imaging spectrum, design of a camera system for a small satellite, image detection algorithm for detecting pipelines, thesis progress report, undergraduate thesis, thesis presentation.
Suited to: Suited to applicants who have an interest in data processing, image feature detection, and imaging systems.
Supervisors: Dr Fergus Downey and Dr Eriita Jones
High Altitude Atmospheric Sample Collection (Max. 4 students)
Description: High Altitude Balloons (HABs) are a low-cost platform enabling access to regions of Earth’s atmosphere where particulates and micrometeorites may be present. This project involves the design of a hermetically sealed (air-tight) system for gaseous sample collection with a HAB. This system has applications in the environmental monitoring space, and if a suitable solution is developed, the system will undergo testing in a vacuum chamber and then on a real HAB. Ideally 1 – 3 engineering students will develop the solution, primarily focused on the mechanical, electronic and software design.
Outputs: A prototype system able to open a hermetically sealed chamber at a specific altitude, close (return to hermetically sealed state). This system will be mechatronic in nature and will need to be compartmentalised and not reliant on other HAB systems for power and control.
Suited to: Applicants with an engineering background interested in developing the mechanical design for capture, the electrical design for power / actuation or the software for control. Applicants with a sciences background interested in analysis / scientific research associated with sample processing and analysis.
Supervisors: Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies and Prof Katarina Miljkovic
Improving CubeSat single actuation deployable mechanisms (1-2 students)
Description: CubeSats along with other satellite platforms often require deployable mechanisms due to limited volume availability during launch. One of the most common mechanisms is a thermal knife, where a thermal element heats up and melts a fastening line which is restraining a spring loaded deployable. This thermal knife is often achieved with a simple spring loaded deployable, restrained by nylon wire, which is burnt through by a resistor. On the CubeSat platform this burn-wire mechanism can have a high rate of failure. This project involves designing an alternative single actuation approach to the burn-wire mechanism, with a higher rate of reliability.
Outputs: A prototype single actuation deployable mechanism that has been launch qualified through vacuum and vibration testing and has been tested for reliability. For engineering students this will likely form an undergraduate thesis, progress report and presentation.
Suited to: Applicants with a mechatronic / mechanical background interested in developing a deployable mechanism, engaging in launch qualification and reliability testing.
Supervisors: Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies
CubeSat Magnetorquer Characterisation (1-2 students)
Description: Satellites usually require attitude control for pointing / orientation capability. Within Low Earth Orbit (LEO), CubeSats often make use of magnetorquers for this purpose. Magnetorquers are essentially copper coils, which a current is passed through to generate a magnetic field to deflect off the Earths own. Magnetorquers however can be difficult to characterise and visualise the field produced. This project will involve the development of a testing apparatus to characterise CubeSat magnetorquers, an accurate characterisation of the magnetic field produced by magnetorquers will assist in the future development of magnetorquers and attitude control algorithms.
Outputs: A testing apparatus using sensors to determine the strengths of the magnetic field, hopefully sending data to a microcontroller for processing. Ideally, this data is then communicated to a computer software for visualisation. For engineering students this will likely form an undergraduate thesis, progress report and presentation.
Suited to: Applicants with a mechatronic / electrical background interested in developing a testing apparatus and visualisation.
Supervisors: Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies
Using a Thermal Camera for Grain Size Classification for Mars Rocks
Description: Development of a thermal camera payload intended for a rover, the data generated should be used to classify grain sizes of mars rocks using existing data.
Outputs: Selection of a thermal camera and development of a machine learning system to determine their sizes, types and classify them accordingly, potentially this can be used for live classification where the grains are recognised and labelled on the camera feed.
Suited to: Applicants with an Engineering background interested in thermal cameras, programming, machine learning and data processing.
Supervisors: Dr Eriita Jones, Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies
Line Scan Imaging System for Earth Observation
Description:
Outputs: A continuation of the Pyromantis camera payload developed by SSTC researchers, the intent of this project is to develop a line scan multispectral camera system for Earth Imaging.
Suited to: Applicants with an Engineering background interested in multispectral cameras, programming and data processing.
Supervisors: Dr Eriita Jones, Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies
Physical Visualisation of Real-World Space Data
Description: Engaging audiences into Space can be quite challenging as concepts can be difficult to communicate, data captured during missions is an example of this, where a plethora of data is captured however much of it isn’t easy for audiences to grasp. Previously artists such as David Bowen have created physical systems to communicate this data, an example of this, is Tele-present wind, where grass stalks move according to wind data from the Mars Perseverance data. The objective of this project is to develop a physical visualisation system to represent real world data captured on space missions, improving space awareness and engagement.
Outputs: Selection of appropriate dataset for visualisation and then design of a mechatronic / mechanical / electronic system to visualise this data.
Suited to: Applicants with an Engineering background interested in sensors, actuators and programming and willing to explore a more creative application of space.
Supervisors: Dr Eriita Jones, Aman Tanday, Tristan Davies
“After he took AERO3001 Space Systems Design, I supervised Lawrence Lo’s final year Mechanical Engineering project exploring the optimisation of the wing-fuselage junction in aircraft design. Now, Lawrence has achieved his stated career goal of entering the aerospace sector by securing a place within the competitive engineering graduate program at the well known multinational aerospace manufacturer Airbus.”
Dr Robert Howie, Research Fellow at SSTC
