"PhD Mechanical Contact Information Processing of Soft and Large-area Robot Skin"

Job Summary

Work on developing the next generation of robot skin to enable machines to have a sense of touch for grabbing and manipulating large and heavy objects. This involves tactile robotics, focusing on sensing and perception technologies for robots to respond to contact intelligently.

Responsibilities

• Design contact experimental setups for contact analysis using existing robot skin, with support from relevant departments.
• Contribute to the development of numerical models to simulate soft, large-area robotic skin with embedded tactile sensors.
• Conduct research on mechanical contact processing models, integrating physics-based numerical models and data-driven approaches to estimate contact information.
• Evaluate and validate the accuracy of contact information estimation.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A master’s degree in a relevant field such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering, or related disciplines.
• Background knowledge in numerical methods, preferably with experience in contact and solid mechanics.
• Demonstrated programming experience in C/C++ and MATLAB/Python, and knowledge of machine learning.
• Interest in mechatronics and robotics is desirable.
• Research-oriented mindset, willingness to work on multidisciplinary projects, motivation to develop teaching skills, and proficiency in English (C1 level or higher).

What the Employer Offers

• Fixed-term contract for 4 years in a dynamic university setting.
• Full-time employment with a minimum of 10% and maximum of 15% per year on teaching tasks.
• Salary range from €3,059 to €3,881 per month, plus benefits such as pension scheme, paid parental leave, year-end bonus of 8.3%, annual vacation pay of 8%, training programs, technical infrastructure, commuting allowance, and tax compensation for international candidates.