Oportunidades Públicas

Development of mechanical systems of the solar vehicle

Design, calculation and manufacturing of mechanical components of a solar vehicle.
Key words: V-Solar
Course: ICM2985

Marine Robotics Systems -- 5CR

Several opportunities to work in a interdisciplinary team on projects related to modeling, mechanical design, electronics, control and programming of marine robotic systems. This 5 credit version is for a limited work supporting larger projects.

Quantification of remodeling in patients with tetralogy of Fallot

1 in 2000 kids are born with tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of 4 serious congenital heart defects. To overcome these problems, the patient undergoes a series of surgeries and the heart responds by remodeling, adapting its form and function. However, the way this adaptation occurs is not fully characterized. The goal of this study is to locally quantify the remodeling of the heart in response to these surgeries. We will magnetic resonance images and the finite element method. This research will enable the development of predictive models to help the planning and optimization of the current surgeries.

Biodesign: Research in engineering design for health

Robotics Mechanism Design

design of robotic mechanisms using of electromechanic, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuators, with computer motion control. Examples are robotic arms, autonomous vehicles, intelligent prostheses, energy systems, etc. These mechanisms will be fabricated by technologies such as 3D Printing, CNC, and fiberglass reinforced plastics

Migración de Sensores de ROS 1 a ROS 2

El sistema operativo para robots (ROS 1) ha llegado oficialmente al final de su ciclo de vida, y su sucesor, ROS 2, resuelve muchas de sus limitaciones relacionadas con el rendimiento, la seguridad y la escalabilidad. Sin embargo, muchos repositorios existentes permanecen desactualizados, lo que restringe la integración de sensores y plataformas robóticas comúnmente utilizadas. Este proyecto de IPre tiene como objetivo migrar y actualizar los controladores y repositorios de ROS 1 a ROS 2 para sensores ampliamente utilizados como el LiDAR Ouster OS1, Livox AVIA, VectorNav VN200, RTK NavCom y RTK Ardusimple. El objetivo es mejorar la compatibilidad y asegurar su uso continuo en sistemas robóticos modernos.

Audio to text using Natural Language Processing

The objective of this research is to program software that implements state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing (NLP) models for real-time audio-to-text translation. Models based on deep neural networks and Transformers are considered.

Advanced programming knowledge is required, but a background in NLP and application development is desirable. Weekly meetings will be held to monitor progress.

Video to text using Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing

The objective of this research is to program software that implements state-of-the-art computer vision models for pose estimation and translates them into text using Natural Language Processing (NLP) in real time. Models based on deep neural networks and Transformers are considered.

Advanced programming knowledge is required, but a background in computer vision, NLP, and application development is desirable. Weekly meetings will be held to monitor progress.

Modelling water transport in porous soils

Part of Carlos Faúndez Fondecyt de Iniciación Proyect: Field-scale estimation of macropore parameters for dual permeability models: An integrative approach incorporating pore-scale modeling and applied geophysics.

1. Implement a unsteady 1-D model for the transport of volumetric water content and hydraulic head in a heterogeneous soil column.

2. Analyse the effect of the non-linearity induced by the dependence of the soil hydraulic conductivity on the quantities transported.

3. Extend 1-D model to a 2-D unsteady model with azimuthal symmetry.

* The development of the model will be in Python on Julia. However, the final version of this model must translated to R. The co-supervisor Carlos Faúndez from Ing. Hidráulica y Ambiental will guide and support the translation of the code.

Towards a spatially distributed environmental exposure assessment of pesticides in Chile by computer simulations

Various space-based products will be utilized, primarily derived from publicly available satellite data and its processed outputs. Additionally, analytical solutions will be employed to model water flow, as well as heat and solute transport. These analytical solutions will be compared with numerical models to assess their accuracy. The study will be conducted at a national scale and represents an initial stage in the environmental assessment of areas at risk of pesticide contamination in soils and groundwater. The work is entirely computational; however, students who participate can also engage in laboratory and field activities.

Study of the Shroud of Turin by image processing

The image on the Shroud remains a subject of study and controversy to this day. It is proposed to systematically investigate the image (positive and negative) of this relic using various image processing and analysis techniques based in artificial intelligence to compare it against similar historical images and find correlation patterns among these pictorial sources. As a result, it is hoped that a paper will be written for an international conference on this subject.

Simulation of electrical conductivity in soils affected by desalination plant brine (reject water)

Desalination plants supply water with variable physico-chemical quality. In this project, we will focus on the electrical conductivity (EC) of the water—particularly brine (reject water) or blended mixtures—and its potential use in agriculture. The objective is to develop and/or apply a computational model to evaluate the evolution of soil EC (e.g., within the root zone) under different irrigation scenarios, and then determine which crops could grow under these conditions based on their salinity tolerance.
The work will be entirely computational; however, if the student wishes, a technical visit to a desalination plant in Chile’s Fifth Region could be arranged to provide context and to learn about the desalination process and the range of water qualities available.

Prediction of water repellency and moisture in forest soils using portable NIR spectroscopy

The student will propose a methodology to predict soil water repellency across increasing soil moisture levels, integrating laboratory analyses and predictive modeling based on NIR spectroscopy. The research will consider the influence of different soil moisture levels on water repellency and the NIR spectral response, together with a basic characterization of soil properties. As an outcome, predictive models will be developed using machine learning techniques to estimate both soil moisture and different indicators of water repellency.

Fire experiments in timber compartments

This project involves reduced-scale compartment fire experiments aimed at investigating the influence of wall flames on the internal fluid dynamics of the enclosure. In order to isolate this effect from other processes associated with burning wood—such as pyrolysis, thermal degradation, and solid-fuel feedback—the compartment walls will be replaced by controlled gas burners that generate flames attached to the vertical surfaces.

Using this configuration, detailed measurements of velocity and temperature fields inside the compartment will be performed, allowing the characterization of flow structure, thermal stratification, and recirculation patterns induced by the wall flames. The ultimate objective is to quantify how flames on vertical surfaces modify the flow dynamics and thermal distribution within the compartment, providing a controlled experimental basis for the development and validation of physical and numerical models of fires in timber compartments.

Corrosion-LAB: Failure prevention in national industry (2026-II)

CONTEXT: The reliability and useful life of industrial equipment depend to a large extent on the performance of the materials that make up their functional surfaces. Phenomena such as corrosion, wear and degradation generate significant economic losses, decrease the operational availability of assets and can lead to failures with relevant consequences for safety and productivity. In strategic sectors for Chile, such as mining, energy and agribusiness, there is a growing need to select suitable materials for the expected useful life and evaluate the causes of failures that occur early.

OFFER: We are looking for undergraduate students interested in articulating their knowledge for applied research carried out by the "Corrosion-LAB" team. The student can join with a focus on one of the current challenges (to be chosen):
(1) Design and construction of an experimental set-up for FAC (flow accelerated corrosion) resistance evaluation, (2) Development of protocols for fast and accurate analysis of metallic materials ("Materials Science"), (3) Development of protocols for evaluation of polymer performance in aggressive environments ("Materials Science").

Dedication: The 10 crs can be concentrated in one semester or distributed in 5 cr over two semesters.

Erosion-LAB: Wear of Materials by Erosive-Abrasive Flow (2026-II)

CONTEXT: Pulp processing equipment in industry often fails early, despite meeting design and construction standards. The research by the "Erosion-LAB" team addresses the need to ensure operational continuity and extend the useful life of systems that handle turbulent and abrasive flows, such as mining slurries.

OFFER: Collaborate in the development of an intelligent monitoring system that combines acoustic images with flow analysis and material characterization. The student can join our team, applying knowledge from various areas to (choose):
(1) Optimize the design and operation of the turbulent flow simulator (<--"Mechanical Design"),
(2) Develop wear models (<-- "Materials Science"),
(3) Analyze turbulent flow in 3D ("<-- Fluid Mechanics"),
(4) Analyze acoustic signals and images (<-- "Electrical circuits"),
(5) Automate the data acquisition system (<-- "Systems Control").

Dedication: The 10 crs can be concentrated in one semester or distributed in 5 cr over two semesters.

Possible extension as a professional internship (Aeonix) or a master's thesis.

Modelling remaining useful life of physical assets affected by corrosion (2026-II)

PROBLEM: The mining industry faces increasing challenges associated with the degradation of water pipelines due to corrosion, which impacts operational continuity and maintenance costs. In this context, there is a need to move towards strategies based on condition monitoring that allow estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of assets.

OBJECTIVE: This research evaluates the applicability of selected degradation models on a set of data from industrial application, with the aim of identifying robust methodologies that include the uncertainty and change of conditions throughout the useful life of a pipeline.

Dedication: The 10 crs can be concentrated in one semester or distributed in 5 cr over two semesters.

Activities design for robotic manipulador

work on enabling the use of robotic arms using ROS and the design of educational activities focused on modeling, control, and algorithm implementation to support robotics courses. Research on collaborative activities between robotic arms, robot-robot and human-robot interactions

Reparation-LAB: Applicability of Selective Electrodeposition for Recovery of Mechanical Parts (2026-II)

CONTEXT: The useful life of mechanical components is conditioned by the progressive deterioration of their functional surface due to wear and/or corrosion, which leads to the loss of critical tolerances and compromises their operational performance. In large components, such as those used in mining machinery, the high costs of replacement, together with environmental considerations, motivate the development of repair technologies to restore surface topography and recover the part's functionality.

OBJECTIVE: To collaborate with the "Reparation-LAB" team in the development of the device for the selective electrodeposition (ELO-Brush) of metal alloys. In particular, the student can work in:
(1) Design, manufacture, and functional testing of ELO-Brush components, (2) Implementation of electrodeposition experiments, (3) Physical-chemical, mechanical, and morphological characterization of the recovered surfaces, (4) State-of-the-art analysis (literature) and state-of-the-art (market).

Dedication: The 10 crs can be concentrated in one semester or distributed in 5 cr over two semesters.

Converting a MATLAB numerical simulation code to a compileable C code

Starting with a MATLAB code for a numerical simulation of heat transfer and fluid mechanics, the source code needs to be converted to native C code, including a GUI and the respective graphics libraries, so that it can be compiled and generate an executable file. Preferably for compilation on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

51 Study and analysis of biblical texts using LLMs

Starting with different LLMs, these must be trained with texts extracted from the Old and New Testaments, with the aim of asking various questions to the trained model and thus analyzing the answers it gives in relation to the answers contained in these same biblical texts.

Study using ANSYS Zemax of light ray projection onto a screen

Using ANSYS Zemax software, the aim is to study the projection of light emitted perpendicularly from each point of a certain 3D topology onto a flat screen. The goal is to be able to record the intensity of each ray of light that strikes the screen, based on its distance from the screen. This is intended to help analyze the image formed on the Shroud of Turin.