Dr George Jackson-Mills

Profile

Dr George Jackson‑Mills is an early‑career academic and Lecturer in Robotics for Inspection and Maintenance within the Multidisciplinary Institute of Design, Robotics and Manufacture (iDRaM) at the University of Leeds. He is the Principal Investigator for Project PRIZM within the REAL Robotics Lab, leading research into autonomous environmental‑robotics platforms for invasive‑species detection, intervention, and wet‑environment operation. PRIZM is supported through ARIA’s Engineering Ecosystem Resilience programme, enabling high‑risk, high‑reward development of robotic systems capable of functioning in submerged, cluttered, and biologically complex environments. His work contributes to emerging national strategies for ecological resilience, including robotic approaches to floating pennywort and other invasive aquatic species.

His research portfolio spans miniature embedded robotic systems for both environmental and industrial inspection. At Leeds, he served as lead mechanical design engineer for the EPSRC Pipebots programme (EP/S016813/1), developing micro‑robotic platforms for buried infrastructure. He also managed a team of robotics engineers in the MBZIRC 2020 international competition, delivering autonomous multi‑robot solutions to complex aerial and ground‑robotics challenges.

The robotic innovations developed during his doctoral research were commercialised through the creation of Acuity Robotics Ltd, a University of Leeds spinout. Acuity is now a leading UK developer of robotic inspection systems for ferrous structures, providing advanced solutions for industrial asset integrity and supporting long‑term collaboration between REAL Robotics and industry. Jackson‑Mills specialises in creative mechanical design for miniature robotic systems, embedded actuation, and autonomous operation in constrained and challenging environments across both ecological and industrial domains.

Responsibilities

• Principal Investigator for Project PRIZM within the REAL Robotics Lab.

Research interests

George’s research is centred on environmental robotics, with a growing focus on autonomous systems for invasive‑species intervention in extreme, inaccessible environments. As Principal Investigator for PRIZM (Pipeline Robot Intervention to prevent the spread of invasive Zebra Mussels), funded by ARIA’s Engineering Ecosystem Resilience programme, he leads the development of a robotic system capable of detecting and removing Zebra Mussels inside live water‑transfer pipelines. PRIZM tackles a uniquely challenging ecological problem: small mussels that attach to hard surfaces, form dense colonies, damage ecosystems, and clog critical infrastructure, all within dark, turbid, confined pipelines full of flowing water. The project aims to demonstrate that robotics can deliver targeted ecological action where humans cannot, advancing sensing, manipulation, and autonomous behaviours for submerged pipeline environments. This work builds on his broader expertise in miniature embedded robotic systems and ongoing collaboration with Acuity Robotics Ltd, a leading UK developer of robotic inspection solutions for ferrous structures.

Student education

George contributes to teaching within iDRaM and Mechanical Engineering, delivering teaching in both electronics and robotics.

Research groups and institutes

• Institute of Design, Robotics and Manufacturing