Areas of expertise
Background
Phil moved to Cranfield in 2009 and holds the Royal Academy of Engineering and Airbus Chair in Aero-structure Design. He was previously an Associate Professor and the head of the Robotics Research Group at the University of Nottingham.For the last 13 years Phil has been conducting research into the application of automation to aircraft and aero-engine structural assembly. During this time he has worked with most of the world’s leading aerospace companies. He has completed many research projects including fuselage assembly, robotic riveting, engine structural assembly, wing and pylon systems installation and robotic plasma welding and has obtained significant research funding from Industry, EPSRC and the European Framework programmes. His other research interests are the application and optimisation of Parallel Kinematic Machines within aerospace manufacturing and mobile robotics.
Phil is a member of the Council of the British Automation and Robotics Association and represents the UK on the General Assembly of the International Federation of Robotics. He is also a member of the SAE Automated Assembly and Fastening Committee.
Current activities
Phil is the head of the Integrated Systems Department and leads the Aero-structure Assembly and Systems Installation Research Group and is currently leading a number of projects on aero-structure assembly and aircraft systems installation. As the Deputy Director of the EPSRC Centre in Intelligent Automation is involved in a significant number of projects on advanced automation and especially human collaborative automation and robotics.Clients
Major Clients include:- Airbus Operation
- Rolls-Royce
- BAE Systems.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Charalambous G, Fletcher SR & Webb P The development of a Human Factors Readiness Level tool for implementing industrial human-robot collaboration, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, In Press.
- Asif S & Webb P Contactless Medium Scale Industrial Robot Collaboration, Advances in Robotics & Automation, 5:145.
- Prabhu VA, Song B, Thrower J, Tiwari A & Webb P (2016) Digitisation of a moving assembly operation using multiple depth imaging sensors, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 85 (1) 163-184.
- Charalambous G, Fletcher S & Webb P (2016) The development of a scale to evaluate trust in industrial human-robot collaboration, International Journal of Social Robotics, 8 (2) 193-209.
- Judt D, Forster K, Lockett H, Lawson C & Webb P (2016) Aircraft wing build philosophy change through system pre-equipping of major components, SAE International Journal of Aerospace, 9 (1) 190-197.
- Asif S & Webb P (2016) Enhanced cell controller for aerospace manufacturing, Advances in Robotics & Automation, 5 (2).
- Jones M, Webb P, Summers M, Baguley P & Valerdi R (2015) A cost-benefit framework for assessing advanced manufacturing technology development: A case study, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 229 (9) 1654-1668.
- Webb P, Asif S, Hogger S, Kosche T & Kiernan P (2015) Advanced flexible automation cell control for aerospace manufacturing, Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 87 (2) 156-164.
- Charalambous G, Fletcher S & Webb P (2015) Identifying the key organisational human factors for introducing human-robot collaboration in industry: an exploratory study, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 81 (9) 2143-2155.
- Asif S & Webb P (2015) Networked control system – an overview, International Journal of Computer Applications, 115 (6) 26-30.
- Tang G, Asif S & Webb P The Integration of Contactless Static Pose Recognition and Dynamic Hand Motion Tracking Control System for Industrial Human and Robot Collaboration, Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 42 (5) 416-428.
- Asif S & Webb P (2015) Software System Integration - Middleware - An Overview, International Journal of Computer Applications, 121 (5) 27-29.
- Jones MB, Webb PF, Summers MD & Baguley P COTECHMO: The Constructive Technology Cost Model, Journal of Cost Analysis and Parametrics, 7 (1) 48-69.
- Jones M, Webb P, Summers M & Baguley P A Cost Benefit Framework for Assessing Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development: A Case Study, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 229 (9) 1654-1668.
- Evans L, Lohse N, Tan KH, Webb P & Summers M (2012) Justification for the selection of manufacturing technologies: a fuzzy-decision-tree-based approach, International Journal of Production Research, 50 (23) 6945-6962.
- To M & Webb P (2012) An improved kinematic model for calibration of serial robots having closed-chain mechanisms, Robotica, 30 (6) 963-971.
- McKeown C & Webb P (2011) A reactive reconfigurable tool for aerospace structures, Assembly Automation, 31 (4) 334-343.
- Jayaweera N & Webb P (2011) Robotic edge profiling of complex components, Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 38 (1) 38-47.
- Short AB, McCartney DG, Webb P & Preston E (2011) Influence of nozzle orifice diameter in keyhole plasma arc welding, Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, 16 (5) 446-452.
- Jayaweera N & Webb P (2010) Metrology-assisted robotic processing of aerospace applications, International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 23 (3) 283-296.
- Eastwood SJ & Webb P (2010) A gravitational deflection compensation strategy for HPKMs, Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 26 (6) 694-702.
- Jayaweera N, Webb P & Johnson C (2010) Measurement assisted robotic assembly of fabricated aero-engine components, Assembly Automation, 30 (1) 56-65.
- Jayaweera N & Webb P (2010) Measurement assisted robotic edge deburring of aero engine components, WSEAS Transactions on Systems and Control, 5 (3) 174-183.
- Mirhosseyni SHL & Webb P (2009) A Hybrid Fuzzy Knowledge-Based Expert System and Genetic Algorithm for efficient selection and assignment of Material Handling Equipment, Expert Systems with Applications, 36 (9) 11875-11887.
- Ye C & Webb P (2009) A sub goal seeking approach for reactive navigation in complex unknown environments, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 57 (9) 877-888.
- Eastwood S & Webb P (2009) Error significance analysis and compensation for HPKMs, Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 36 (1) 27-35.
- Jayaweera N & Webb P (2007) Automated assembly of fuselage skin panels, Assembly Automation, 27 (4) 343-355.
- Jayaweera N & Webb P (2007) Adaptive robotic assembly of compliant aero-structure components, Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 23 (2) 180-194.
- Fayad C & Webb P (2006) Development of a hybrid crisp-fuzzy logic algorithm optimised by genetic algorithms for path-planning of an autonomous mobile robot, Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems, 17 (1) 15-26.
- Gao J, Webb P & Gindy N (2005) Research on an inertial positioning system for a parallel kinematic machine, Mechatronics, 15 (1) 1-22.
- Webb P, Eastwood S, Jayaweera N & Chen Y (2005) Automated aerostructure assembly, Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 32 (5) 383-387.
- Webb P & Eastwood SJ (2004) An evaluation of a TI2 manufacturing system for the machining of airframe subassemblies, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 218 (7) 819-826.
- Geldart M, Webb P, Larsson H, Backstrom M, Gindy N & Rask K (2003) A direct comparison of the machining performance of a variax 5 axis parallel kinetic machining centre with conventional 3 and 5 axis machine tools, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, 43 (11) 1107-1116.
- Gao J, Webb P & Gindy N (2003) Error reduction for an inertial-sensor-based dynamic parallel kinematic machine positioning system, Measurement Science and Technology, 14 (5) 543-550.
- Eastwood SJ, Webb P & McKeown C (2003) The use of the TI2 manufacturing system on a double-curvature aerospace panel, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 217 (6) 849-855.
- Webb P & Wykes C (2001) Analysis of fast accurate low ambiguity beam forming for non lambda/2 ultrasonic arrays, Ultrasonics, 39 (1) 69-78.
- Webb P (1998) An integrated system for the sensor processing and control of robot systems, Microprocessors and Microsystems, 21 (6) 383-391.
- Webb P & Wykes C (1996) High-resolution beam forming for ultrasonic arrays, Ieee Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 12 (1) 138-146.
- Webb P & Wykes C (1995) Suppression of 2nd-time-around echoes in high firing rate ultrasonic transducers, NDT and E International, 28 (2) 89-93.
- Webb P, Gibson I & Wykes C (1994) Robot guidance using ultrasonic arrays, Journal of Robotic Systems, 11 (8) 681-692.
Conference Papers
- Fletcher SR & Webb P (2017) Industrial robot ethics: facing the challenges of human-robot collaboration in future manufacturing systems. In: International Conference on Robot Ethics - ICRE 2015, Pavilhão do Conhecimento/Ciência Viva, Lisbon, 23-24 October 2015.
- Charalambous G, Fletcher S & Webb PF (2016) Development of a human factors roadmap for the successful implementation of industrial human-robot collaboration. In: AHFE 2016 International Conference on Human Aspects of Advanced Manufacturing, Florida, 27-31 July 2016.
- Tang G, Charalambous G, Webb P & Fletcher SR (2014) Users' understanding of industrial robot gesture motions and effects on trust. In: International Conference on Ergonomics and Human Factors 2014, Southampton, 7 April 2014.
- Seemal Asif & Phil Webb (2013) An improved cell controller for the aerospace manufacturing. In: Advances in manufacturing technology XXVII : proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Manufacturing Research, 2013, Cranfield, 19 September 2013.
- Seemal Asif & Phil Webb (2012) Advanced Flexible Automation Cell. In: INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AVIATION IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT, Madrid, 30 March 2011.
- Jones M, Webb P, Summers M & Baguley P (2012) A manufacturing technology readiness impact assessment transitional framework. In: 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, 2-10 March 2012.
- Walton M, Fletcher SR & Webb P (2012) Developing true cooperation between human operators and robots in assembly work systems: a proxemic study. In: 10th International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR2012), Aston University, 11 September 2012.
- Jayaweera Nirosh & Webb Phil (2010) Measurement assisted automated robotic edge deburring of complex components. In: 9th WSEAS International Conference on Signal Process, Robotics and Automation, 2009, Cambridge, 20-22 February 2010.
- Short A, McCartney DG, Webb P & Preston E (2009) Parametric Envelopes for Keyhole Plasma Arc Welding of a Titanium Alloy. In: 8th International Conference on Trends in Welding Research, Pine Mountain, Georgia, 1-6 June 2008.
- Gao J, Webb P & Gindy N (2003) An inertial-sensor-based dynamic measurement system for parallel kinematic machine. In: ICOM 2003 - International Conference on Mechatronics, Loughborough, 3 March 2003.
- Fayad C & Webb P (2000) Fuzzy logic based collision avoidance algorithm for a mobile robot. In: Recent advances in soft computing '99; Soft computing techniques and applications, Leicester, UK.
