The Humanoids & Human Centred Mechatronics Research Line (HHCM) at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, is seeking a highly motivated post-doc to work on the control of a dexterous master teleoperation system.
The selected candidate will join an interdisciplinary team and have the opportunity to pursue research within the project “Sistemi Cibernetici Collaborativi – Teleoperation” in collaboration with INAIL (“Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro” - National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work) CUP J32F17000950005.
The project will create the next-generation, collaborative master-slave teleoperation system for intuitive operation in hazard-prone industries, with the aim of reducing risks to workers’ health and safety.
Specifically, the objectives of the project are: (1) integration of a new hydraulic quadruped field robot; (2) development of a novel dexterous robotic manipulator arm for grasping and manipulation of objects; (3) development of a high performance 6 DoF force feedback master and integration of a hand exoskeleton for dexterous haptic tele-manipulation; (4) development of novel user interaction interfaces for intuitive teleoperation using augmented reality and virtual reality systems. The project will be developed within an inter-disciplinary group, in close collaboration with end-users.
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a PhD in Robotics, or other field related to the development and control of haptic feedback systems for teleoperation or VR, and an excellent track record of high quality publications and implementations in this area of research.
In this position, the candidate will have a key role in the team responsible for the development and integration of the master haptic tele-manipulation systems. The goal is to conduct research and implement appropriate control strategies at the high and low level control systems of the Haptic Master system consisting of a high performance 6DOF force-feedback device and a dexterous hand exoskeleton in order to teleoperated a slave manipulator with a robotic hand. Teleoperation will be through a highly immersive setup integrating various control modes spanning from standard bilateral teleoperation to semi-autonomous slave control and manipulation schemes. The candidate should be proficient in actuator level control for haptics, robot teleoperation, dexterous tele-manipulation, or the design and control of force feedback systems. A strong portfolio of practical projects in the above areas is highly desirable. We seek strong research and development skills in the areas of mechatronics and/or control with excellent hands-on competencies. A strong background on robot kinematics/dynamics, mechanism analysis and modelling will be highly appreciated.
The successful candidate will exploit a solid foundation of established technologies within the department. This foundation consists of extensive know-how on the design and control of mechatronics systems, key enabling technologies in haptic feedback, wearable robots, actuation, sensing, embedded control, etc. The successful candidate will take a leading role in organising the research and development activities in the assigned tasks, and accomplishing project deliverables and communications through reports and demonstrations.
PhD degree in one of the aforementioned areas.
Excellent academic writing and oral presentation skills (English) are essential.
Experience in the development of control and haptic feedback algorithms with object oriented languages e.g. C++ is necessary.
Low level control, data acquisition, and communications with embedded systems will be highly appreciated.
Experience with software development tools such as QT, haptics libraries such as CHAI3D and VR/Game engines such as Unity3D is welcome.
Experience in the development of mechatronic systems (mechanical design skills, electronics skills, etc.) would be is highly appreciated.
Available to attend conferences, visit fieldworks, participate in meetings and other events.
The successful candidate will be offered a highly competitive salary, which will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Expected start date is June 2019.
To apply, please send electronically a detailed CV (including list of publications), a letter outlining motivation, and names and contacts of 2 referees to ioannis.sarakoglou@iit.it and Nikhil.deshpande@iit.it by April 15, 2019 stating “IT-Post-Doc HHCM INAIL [CB 76299]” in the subject of the e-mail. Only complete applications will be evaluated.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), with its headquarters in Genova, Italy, is a non-profit institution with the primary goal of creating and disseminating scientific knowledge and strengthening Italy’s technological competitiveness. The institute offers state-of-the-art equipment and a top-level interdisciplinary research environment focused on robotics and computer vision, neuroscience, drug discovery, nanoscience and technology.