Advancing automation processes across leading industries can significantly improve manufacturing efficiency and accuracy, while reducing waste and costs. These drivers, along with eliminating the need for humans to work in potentially hazardous environments motivates the research of Scott Nokleby, PhD, Professor and Department Chair, Automotive, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Autonomous aerial vehicles are designed to keep operators a safe distance from harm, yet this technology has many downsides in commercial use. Dr. Nokleby’s latest research aims to improve the power to weigh ratio of these quadcopters by building aerial manipulator systems that enable batteries to be changed in flight. Awarded a 2016 Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Nokleby’s critical research agenda focuses on the application of advanced kinematics for the control of redundant manipulator systems including joint redundant arms, redundantly actuated parallel manipulators, and mobile manipulator systems. Achieving better control of these systems using automated arms to improve efficiency and reduce risk of exposure will have a major impact in industries such as mining and nuclear power. With a proven track record of successful industry collaborations, Dr. Nokleby has spent the past 12 years developing advanced systems to solve real-world automation problems. Director of Ontario Tech University's Mechatronics and Robotics Systems (MARS) Lab, his research group continues to work on industrial projects with Cameco Corporation through his previous role as the Associate Cameco Research Chair in Nuclear Fuel at Ontario Tech University. His research has been published in more than 90 refereed journal and conference publications. The opportunity to define Ontario Tech University's engineering curriculum and labs brought Dr. Nokleby to Ontario Tech University in June 2004. He led the development of proposals for the university’s first doctoral degree and first Master of Engineering, both in Mechanical Engineering, along with its first thesis-based Master of Applied Science – in Mechanical Engineering, and undergraduate Mechatronics programs. Inspired by a keen interest in understanding how things work, Dr. Nokleby earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a Co-op program and Management option, his Master of Applied Science and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, all in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria.