2 PhDs positions in behavioral autonomy for medical robots

Irène Curie Fellowship

No

Department(s)

Mechanical Engineering

Reference number

V35.5819

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e; website ) in collaboration with Philips Image Guided Therapy is looking for two PhD candidates to join the AMBER project: AdvanceMents in Behavioral Autonomy for mEdical Robots.

In this project we want to devise and experimentally validate novel navigation and control approaches for a system of medical robots in order to increase their level of autonomy and accuracy with respect to task execution. The type of tasks targeted by the project is in the domain of image guided therapy interventions.

The first PhD student will focus on motion control of a system of robotic manipulators with high accuracy and replicability requirements. The second PhD student will focus on the degree of autonomy of the system, in particular, on obstacle avoidance.

The research will be conducted on an experimental set-up already available at the robotics lab of the university. The PhD students will be responsible for supervising bachelor and master students who will transfer their generic results to the hardware set-up of the partner company. The candidates will contribute to the robotics scientific research at a fundamental/theoretical level as well as at the experimental level.

For this position we expect candidates with a strong background in control systems and/or robotics with excellent communication skills. We also expect candidates with prior experience with hardware/software setup for robotics. Significant prior experience with Matlab/Simulink and C++ is strongly recommended.

We will provide you with excellent infrastructure and real-life scenarios on which you can validate your research. You will also be affiliated with EAISI (Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute).

TU/e will offer you plenty of opportunities for development. You can join the DISC (Dutch Institute for Systems and Control) school as well as several programs offered by TU/e for personal development.

We are looking for very motivated candidates with an eagerness to learn and approach problems from a fundamental as well as a practical perspective. When selected you will join the CST group of the Mechanical Engineering Department.

The Control Systems Technology (CST; website ) group as part of the department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) has an internationally recognized reputation in mechatronics, precision motion control and robotics. CST targets areas in Precision Machines, Robotics, Biomedical and Automotive engineering by designing performance-oriented controllers, intelligent machine and algorithm designs. CST has a track record of over twenty years in bringing state-of-the-art systems and control theory into new designs and high-tech applications.

The CST group has a track record in European projects. It was the coordinator of the FP7 – ROBOEARTH project, is and has been participating in H2020 projects EUREYECASE, ROPOD, AUTOPILOT and more recently SAFE-UP and many more European and nationally funded projects (INTEREG, OPZUID, FAST).

Since 2005, CST is the main contributor to the TU/e RoboCup team, Tech United, which has been named  6 times world champion (’12, ’14, ’16, ’18, ’19, ‘22) in the Middle Size League and the 2019 and 2022 world champion in the @Home Domestic Platform League with the TOYOTA Human Support Robot. The model-based, multidisciplinary-oriented approach has proven to be highly valuable in the field of robotics. The CST group is led by Prof. M. Steinbuch and has produced 5 start-ups in the past 10 years (Preceyes, MicroSure, Eindhoven Medical Robotics, Smart Robotics and recently RUVU- behavior for robots).

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• A research-oriented and proactive attitude.
• Good programming skills in  Matlab/Simulink.
• Experience in ROS is a plus.
• Ability to work in a team and keen on collaborating with industrial partners.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Proactive and entrepreneurial mind-set, getting-things-done mentality.
• Active former membership of student teams participating in the RoboCup is considered a big plus.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program ).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Candidates can further inquire about this this position at dr. Elena Torta, email e.torta[at]tue.nl.

More information regarding function and employer benefits, please click here or contact Hind Boulgalag, HR advisor (phone: +31 (0)247 5902, email  h.boulgalag[at]tue.nl or hrservices.gemini[at]tue.nl.

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs and www.tue.nl/en/education/graduate-school/ to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application via our website by clicking on the "apply for this job" button.
The application should include:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three referees.
• Your MSc thesis.
• A list of grades for bachelor and master
• Optionally letter(s) of recommendation

Screening of applicants will start as soon as applications are received and will continue until the positions have been filled.