PhD position: Compliant Aerial Robots for Physical Interaction in Challenging Environments

PhD position: Compliant Aerial Robots for Physical Interaction in Challenging Environments
PhD position: Compliant Aerial Robots for Physical Interaction in Challenging Environments

Published	Deadline	Location
yesterday	16 Apr	Delft

Job description

With a decade-long research efforts in the field of aerial manipulation, it is evident how compliance plays a key role for safety and robustness in aerial interaction tasks. Often implemented in software in the form of impedance/admittance controllers, hardware compliance has had secondary importance in the design of aerial robotic solutions for physical interaction tasks. However, exploiting passivity and compliance in the body can offset the control complexity and favour real-time responses to dynamic stimuli.

In this project, you will leverage the design of novel compliant limbs paired with centralised control approaches to improve drones’ autonomy in aerial tasks. Compliance will be implemented in the drone’s morphology via the use of articulation, parallel mechanisms, novel actuator designs, soft materials, or bio-inspired motion principles. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of mechanical compliance for dynamic aerial interaction tasks. 

Specifications

• 38—40 hours per week
• €2541—€3247 per month
• Delft View on Google Maps

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Requirements

Your qualifications:

• M.Sc. degree from a top-tier University in the field of Robotics, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience in hardware design and rapid-prototyping.
• Experience in software engineering tools and programming languages (e.g., C/C++ and Python).
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Independent approach to work in Research demonstrated by self-led projects.
• An affinity with teaching and guiding students.
• Experience in Robot Operating System (ROS) is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with flight controllers or drones is a plus.

Besides research achievements, the successful candidate will show an active interest in education and will support in teaching duties during the PhD duration.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Employer
Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Department
Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The current team at the BioMorphic Intelligence Lab has 5 PhD students guided by Dr. Salua Hamaza. The overarching challenges in the team concern design and control of compliant drones for a variety of interaction tasks in different environments. The team is very diversified in gender, ethnicities, and scientific skills. The successful candidate will show an active interest in team building, and will display creativity and initiative in promoting the lab’s line of research and growing impact.

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates andclose to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governmentsand industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Salua Hamaza, [email protected] . 

 

Working at TU Delft

Join the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands. Work on clever solutions for worldwide challenges, to change the world and make an impact. Ready to bring your energy to our research?

Challenge, change, impact!

Apply for this job
Apply for this job

This application process is managed by the employer (Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)). Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.

Apply for this job via the employer's website
Thank you for applying

Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.

Tip: save this job as favorite in your AcademicTransfer account. This gives you an immediate overview and makes it easy to find the job later on. No account yet? Create it now and take advantage of other useful functionalities too!

Back to the vacancy
Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 16 April 2023 via the application button and upload:

• 1-page motivation letter.
• Your CV.
• (part of your) M.Sc. thesis or a paper that you have written, in which you demonstrate your writing and scientific skills.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. This exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) before an employment contract is agreed upon. Click here  for more information.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

For information about the application procedure, please contact Marc van der Hulst, [email protected] .