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Robotics and Automation Open Positions List

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Recent Postings:


General Industrial Opportunities:

Meka Robotics: Robot Engineer

Meka Robotics (San Francisco, CA) is looking for a robot engineer to contribute to our humanoid robot projects. This position is ideal for someone who has a broad robotics background and a depth of experience at the hardware/software interface. We're looking for a candidate who has:

To Apply: Please submit your resume and any supporting material such as design portfolios to jobs@mekabot.com.


Hstar: Control Engineer

Hstar Technologies, Inc. has immediate openings for Robotics Control Engineers at its headquarters in Cambridge, MA, and at its research facility in San Francisco, CA.

Required qualifications:

To Apply: Please contact Jeff Scott in Operations.


2d3 Vision Scientist

2d3 is seeking two computer vision scientists to join its expanding research team. Candidates with experience in any of the following areas would be considered:

Prototyping and development takes place in Matlab, and C++. Excellent C++ and software engineering skills are important.

2d3 Ltd researches, develops, and produces products for the capture, management, geolocation, enhancement, exploitation, and distribution of aerial imagery. With an original background in film and visual effects, 2d3 has a broad portfolio of technologies applicable to sensing, security and surveillance incorporating airborne ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) from both manned and unmanned (UAV) platforms. 2d3 has offices in Oxford, UK and Irvine, CA, USA. The role is based in Oxford.

To Apply: See website or contact Ms Lesley Butcher for an application form.


CMU/NREC: Researcher

We have an opening for a hands on research position at Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center, Robotics Institute.

We are looking for a talented, hands on, researcher to lead the development of an autonomy system for an off road vehicle. The researcher will be expected to lead the design and implementation of a software system in C++ to control an autonomous robot moving in urban/off-road terrain. As the software is a deliverable for this project, strong software development and engineering skills will be essential in addition to hands on experience in developing working autonomy systems.

This work is part of a larger effort to develop mobile robot autonomy systems and simulation environments for rapid development of those systems.

To Apply: Please send all resumes and references to: Brett Browning.


Heartland Robotics

Heartland Robotics in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is looking for both Principal and Senior software people to help us build the intelligence of a new class of industrial robot.

We are looking for people who have experience in Behavior-Based Control for robots, experience in Lisp, C++, and Linux.

To Apply: jobs@heartlandrobotics.com


Faculty Positions:

ENSTA ParisTech

The Cognitive Robotics team at ENSTA ParisTech in Paris is offering a permanent lecturer position in mechatronics and robotics. The candidates should speak French and have experience in several of the following areas: mechatronics design, control of mechatronics system, learning and planning for manipulation, mobile manipulation or humanoid robotics.

To Apply: Review detailed job description and application. Deadline: March 31, 2010.


MIT: Transportation

Junior Faculty Position in Transportation:

The MIT School of Engineering seeks candidates for a tenure-track faculty position to begin July 2010 or thereafter, in the area of Transportation.

Reflecting the importance and broad scope of transportation activity in the MIT School of Engineering (SOE) and across MIT, the search is being coordinated at the SoE level with search committee members drawn from many departments/divisions.

The appointment would be at the assistant or untenured associate professor level in one or more of the departments or divisions in the School. In exceptional circumstances more senior candidates will be considered. Faculty duties will include teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels, research, and supervision of student research. Candidates should hold an earned Ph.D. in a relevant field by the beginning of the appointment period. The candidate should have demonstrated excellence in original research and should have an interest in research topics that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.

To Apply: Interested candidates should submit application materials electronically. The application should include: a curriculum vitae, the names and addresses of three or more references, a statement of teaching interests and a statement of research plans and interests in the field of Transportation. The application should also include a cover letter saying you are applying for the Transportation position, indicating which departments or areas would be the best match for your teaching and research interests in the MIT School of Engineering. E-mail if questions. Deadline: January 15, 2010.


CMU: Robotics Institute

The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications from outstanding candidates at all levels and tracks (tenure-track, research, and systems) with special interest in the areas of: Mechanism, Actuation, and Design, Sensors and Sensing, Environmental Robotics, Quality of Life Technology, Intelligent Transportation, and Intelligent Environments. Outstanding candidates in other areas are also welcome.

To Apply: Please include a letter indicating the area of specialization and faculty track, a detailed curriculum vitae (including citizenship or current visa status for non-US citizens), a research statement (including both current and future directions) and a teaching statement (if appropriate for the track), copies of 1 - 3 representative papers, and the names, affiliations and email addresses of three or more individuals who have been asked to provide letters of reference.

Applications will be accepted from November 30, 2009 through January 1, 2010. Applicants should arrange for reference letters to be sent directly to the Robotics Institute Faculty Search Committee and are due no later than January 15, 2010. (Letters will not be requested directly by the Search Committee.) For more details, click here.

Applications and reference letters (PDF format) may be submitted via email to robotics-facultysearch@ri.cmu.edu, with “area” and “727” in the subject line or hardcopy to: Robotics Institute Faculty Search Committee, ATTENTION: Rachel Shackelford, School of Computer Science, Gates and Hillman Centers 5011, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891.


Arizona State University: School of Earth and Space Exploration

Established in 2006, the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) is the focal point for earth and space science at Arizona State University, one of the largest and fastest growing institutions of higher learning in the United States. An essential part of the SESE mission is an effective integration of disciplines such as astrophysics, biogeochemistry, geology, geophysics, hydrology and engineering for scientific exploration.

Over the next two years, SESE will be hiring a large number of faculty – at a variety of ranks – in order to build its capacity for transdisciplinary research and education in earth and space science and engineering. (A full listing of current searches may be found at http://sese.asu.edu/opportunities.)

One priority for SESE is to welcome new faculty with interests in sensor networks and robotics. Specifically, we seek applicants who are interested in developing techniques for integrating large arrays of static and mobile sensors and robots to monitor physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape the evolution of Earth’s surface and near surface environments. Research interests could range from the development of control and distributed sensing algorithms to the field deployment of sensor networks and robots for environmental observations. A demonstrated track record in research, teaching and grantsmanship is preferred. Opportunities are available for joint appointments with other academic units within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Applications should include: 1) a cover letter that includes a description of the applicant’s research and teaching interests, 2) a current CV, and 3) the names, addresses and telephone numbers of three references. Inquiries and applications must be addressed to Kip Hodges, Director, School of Earth and Space Exploration, and submitted electronically to sesenewfac@asu.edu. Submissions in pdf format are preferred.

ASU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that actively seeks diversity among applicants and promotes a diverse workforce.


Vanderbilt: ME

Applications for one or more faculty positions to begin Fall 2010. Applications will be considered for positions at all ranks commensurate with qualifications. Applicants must possess a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or closely related discipline and have expertise and research interests that are synergistic with existing research areas in the department including energy conversion, combustion, microfluidics, bioMEMS, nanotechnology, mechatronics, portable power, and robotics. Successful candidates will be expected to build a strong, externally-funded research program and make a significant contribution to the department's research activities. The candidate should also have a marked interest in and talent for teaching in both the undergraduate (B.E.) and graduate (M.S. and Ph.D.) programs. The Department of Mechanical Engineering has a student body of about 265 undergraduates and 40 Ph.D. students.

To Apply: Applications consisting of a cover letter, a complete curriculum vitae, statements of teaching and research interests, and the addresses of four references (include email address) should be sent to Professor Robert W. Pitz.

Columbia: Lecturer

Columbia University invites applications for a Senior Lecturer position. The position is sought in the fields of Mechatronics and Design. The expected start date is Fall 2009. Applicants must hold a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering or a related field and have excellent oral and written communication skills. Successful candidates must have demonstrated excellence in teaching. Courses to be taught include, but not limited to Mechatronics, Engineering Design, and Mechanical Engineering Laboratory. For further information about this position, please contact Sandra Morris.

To Apply: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Create An Applicant Profile available here. Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, statement of teaching philosophy, and a list of three references with current telephone numbers and email addresses.

Glasgow: Lecturer in Psychology (UK)

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader in Psychology. REF #52-5

The University intends to make a new appointment in Psychology, tenable from April 2010. Candidates from all areas of psychology will be considered, though the department is particularly interested to encourage candidates with expertise in ageing, social neuroscience or robotics.

All applicants must have a PhD in Psychology or a related field and a strong track record of research, including proven ability to attract research funding. The level of appointment (Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Reader) will depend on the extent of the appointees? track-record.

The Department has an outstanding record of success in both teaching and research. Particular research strengths include vision, language, face perception and cognitive neuroscience. In-house research facilities include a 3T fMRI scanner, a MEG system, a 12-camera Vicon motion capture system and eye-tracking equipment. The department was rated in the top 10 UKpsychology departments in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, and achieved the highest rating available in the most recent Teaching Quality Assessment.

To Apply: Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Mike Burton (Head of Department). Also visit here.


Post-doc Opportunities:

Imperial: HRI

Machine Learning for Human-Robot Interaction

Two postdoctoral positions are immediately available at Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, to work on machine learning algorithms for human-robot interaction in paediatric ward settings. You will be working within the context of a new EU FP7 integrated project, ALIZ-E, researching adaptive strategies for sustaining a long-term social interaction between robots and children.

The positions offer an exciting research topic, an excellent working environment in one of the world’s top research universities, with long-term stability (project’s duration is 4.5 years).

To Apply: More information (and links to the application website) here. Deadline for receipt of applications is 4th of April 2010.


UTK: BioMEMS

Rendezvous @ ICRA: e-mail for details.

Two Postdoc at the University of Tennessee. One will participate a project on developing a sensitive and specific BioMEMS/Robotic device for comprehensive cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor analysis. The other will work on mathematical modeling and system analysis of biological systems.

To Apply: Applicants should send CV and selected papers to mjzhang@utk.edu.


HRL: Vision & Learning

Primary job function is to develop neuro-inspired models and algorithms for sensory (particularly visual) processing, navigation, motor control, memory, and learning. Tasks will include the development, simulation, evaluation, and implementation of neuromorphic algorithms applied to a variety of applications. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures and publishing papers.

Research experience in one or more of the following areas: Neurobiological modeling of vision, audition, control, language, memory, learning or cognition; building neuro or biologically inspired cognitive systems (software and hybrid software/hardware) with applications to robotic control, navigation, and visual scene analysis; neuromorphic engineering and construction of brain-based devices; machine learning. Experience developing innovative solutions based upon the application of relevant research results from a wide variety of sources.

To Apply: Please apply here.


BU/Harvard: Biorobotics Lab

BioRobotics Lab is moving to Children's Hospital Boston in Spring 2010. In anticipation of this move, the following positions are available:

robot navigation within the body.

Our Lab's mission is to embed creative young engineers and scientists in one of the world's leading pediatric hospitals. This ensures that we work on clinically important problems and enables us to rapidly transition engineering prototypes to a clinical setting for testing. More information on our projects can be found here.

To Apply: Qualified applicants should respond by email as soon as possible to Prof.Pierre Dupont with a description of their qualifications, academic background, PhD thesis, publications, career goals and availability. The initial appointments will be for one year with the possibility of extension. Postdoctoral appointments will be made through Harvard Medical School.


USC: Robotics & Wireless Comm.

Postdoctoral researcher position available in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering fields within the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California.

This position is in support of a multi-disciplinary Office of Naval Research grant funding four institutions: USC, WHOI, Northeastern, and MIT. The project title is “Intelligent Coordination and Adaptive Classification for Naval Autonomous Systems.” The three principal investigators (PIs) at USC are: Prof. Urbashi Mitra (EE), Prof. Gaurav Sukhatme (CS) and Prof. Shri Narayanan (EE).

The ideal candidate has a doctoral degree in either: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering with expertise in one or more of the following areas: robotics, communications, information theory, controls, classification and pattern recognition, or machine learning. The initial focus is on the interface between robotics, multi-vehicle controls and wireless communications; however, individuals with other research interests as outlined above will be given full consideration. While the position emphasis is on the development of theoretical results, individuals with experimental experience (e.g. in marine/aquatics robotics, controls or wireless communications) are of high interest.

The position is available immediately. The appointment will be for one year, renewable for a second year by mutual agreement. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with expertise.

The individual selected for this position must be highly motivated, capable of conducting independent research and prepared to take a leadership role on a team that consists of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students from multiple institutions. A portion of the responsibilities include assisting the principal investigators with coordination of the grant across the multiple institutions. The postdoctoral fellow would be a principal author on publications, and would have the opportunity to present their work at national and international conferences as well as participate in the development of additional grant proposals.

To Apply: Interested individuals should send an e-mail that includes availability information, a pdf version of the CV, one or two representative publications, and contact information (e-mail and phone) for three references, to Prof. Gaurav Sukhatme.


EPFL: Imitation Learning HRI

The Learning Algorithm and Systems Laboratory at the EPFL seeks one qualified postdoctoral researcher in the fields of robot programming by demonstration and human-robot interaction.

The candidate will work within the framework of European projects that develop algorithms for learning the dynamics of motion to perform manipulatory tasks through human demonstration. The candidate will have the opportunity to work on state-of-the-art robotic platforms available at LASA, among which the new 57 degrees of freedom humanoid platform, the iCub.

The work is strongly grounded on machine learning and dynamical systems theory, and knowledge of both is a pre-requisite. Further, the candidate is expected to have an Engineering BSc/Msc degree (EE, CS or Physics/Maths) and a PhD degree in robotics (not necessarily in human-robot interaction).

The initial Postdoctoral position is for one year each, with a possibility of up to 2 years extension. Starting date: Spring 2010.

To Apply: Interested candidates should send a short letter of motivation, along with their detailed CV, copy of two of their most recent and relevant publications and names of 2 references to Prof. Billard.


Wyss: Soft Robotic device

Researchers in the Wyss Institute, Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MIT, Boston University, and the Harvard Medical School are teaming to develop a 'active, soft orthotic device' to be used in clinical applications for treating gait pathologies in children associated with neuromuscular disorders (such as drop-foot, spasticity, etc.). Treatments for these pathologies typically employ a passive mechanical brace. While passive braces provide certain benefits, they can also lead to additional medical problems such as disuse atrophy of the muscles, which may lead to long-term orthotic dependence. By employing an 'active, soft orthotic' we can adaptively modify the orthotic stiffness and provide additional actuated assistance to promote muscle usage and rehabilitation. This project will involve a convergence of computer science and machine learning to control a soft robotic device, and studies of materials and actuation strategies to construct a wearable orthotic device, which conforms to the shape of the wearer while providing useful stimuli. The target for this position is to assist with the electromechanical development of the orthotic sleeve (building from first generation prototypes) and integrating a control system derived from models of gait control in humans.

This is a key component to a multi-disciplinary project and it is expected that the successful applicant will actively fortify work between the participating labs. Applicants should hold a PhD in electrical or mechanical engineering, or computer science.

To Apply: The position is open immediately (10/1/09) and is guaranteed for a year with a possible second year extension. Applicants should send a cover letter briefly describing their background and career plans, a CV, and the names and contact information for at least three references. Please clearly indicate which position you are applying for. These documents should be submitted as pdf attachments to eng_postdoc@wyss.harvard.edu.


PhD Opportunities:

UTK: BioMEMS

Rendezvous @ ICRA: e-mail for details.

Three PhD Research Assistantships at the University of Tennessee. Two will work on a BioMEMS/Robotic device for comprehensive cardiovascular disease risk factor analysis. One will work on systems biology and complex system theory.

To Apply: Applicants should send CV and selected papers to mjzhang@utk.edu.


AI in Robotics (U. Orebro, Sweden)

A PhD position in the area of autonomous robotics is available at the AASS Mobile Robotics Lab, Orebro University, Sweden. This is a 3-year PhD position fully funded within the EU project GeRT - “Generalizing Robot Manipulation Tasks”.

ABOUT THE PROJECT: In order to work naturally in human environments such as offices and homes, robots in the future will need to be much more flexible and robust in the face of novelty than they are today. In the GeRT project we will address this problem by developing new methods to cope with such novelty in manipulation tasks. The overall aim of the GeRT project is to enable a robot to autonomously generalise its manipulation skills from a set of known objects to previously unmanipulated objects in order to achieve an everyday manipulation task. The platform that will be used within GeRT is the DLR robot Justin, an advanced robot with two arms with four-fingered hands. The GeRT consortium consists of four European partners: the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Max Planck Institute from Germany, the University of Birmingham from Great Britain, and Orebro University from Sweden.

The student will do research about hybrid planning for the robot in the context of the GeRT project. This means that, when planning for a task, the robot needs to reason both about the purposes of actions on a symbolic level, and about the kinematics and geometry of the robot and the objects it manipulate. Apart from working towards the PhD thesis, the enrolled PhD student will be involved in the project work, which is expected to include research visits to our European partners.

The student will work under the joint supervision of Alessandro Saffiotti and Lars Karlsson. The student will receive a monthly salary adequate to the cost of living in Sweden, and will be included in the Swedish social security system.

To Apply: In addition to a clear interest in the research topic, to a strong theoretical background in computer science, and to solid programming skills, the applicant should have a Masters or equivalent degree in an appropriate field (including computer science, computer engineering, or robotics). Knowledge of the Swedish language is not required, but proficiency in written/spoken English is mandatory. Candidates with previous experience in artificial intelligence or in robotics will be preferred.

To apply for the position, please send a motivation letter along with an updated CV (including at least two academic references) by email to Prof. Alessandro Saffiotti. Applications can be sent immediately and until January 31, 2010.


Multi-view SLAM for Space Robot Control

The computer vision and robotics group at the CNRS-I3S, Sophia-Antipolis, France is seeking an outstanding PhD candidate for a CNRS funded scholarship.

The position is under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Comport and Professor Tarek Hamel and is associated with a project developing new techniques in real-time Simulaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) using multi-view computer vision. This project will focus on applying these techniques to Space Exploration in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space. This will involve the study of autonomous navigation of space robots in unknown environments and safe landing.

The primary part of this study concerns developing a visual perception system that localises the spacecraft with respect to reference bodies and performs visual servoing to achieve environment mapping and safe landing. The interest here will be to use the theory of multi-view differential geometry to perform closed-loop visual servoing control. It will be necessary to develop an analytic relationship between the movement of the space vehicle and the movement of external bodies such as asteroids and planets perceived by the visual sensors. This will also include identifying pertinent control parameters that adhere to a rigorous set of criterion (robustness, stability, precision, efficiency) along with the choice of technical constraints such as the optimal placement of the cameras. In particular, it will be of interest to develop a global task function which allows the aircraft to behave correctly in accordance with the online dynamics (for example, the movement of an asteroid), changing illumination conditions (according to the luminosity and the visibility), perturbations (such as varying temperatures) or large differences in perceived scale of the environment.

The second part will involve developing algorithms for mapping the environment both in an off-line learning phase and an online update phase. The former case will allow to reduce the computational complexity of the online problem by performing the bulk of the computational effort off-line. This will involve creation of a navigational framework that allows the creation of image-based maps within which a robot is to execute a global task. Given a set of training measurements, task planning consists in constructing optimal representations of these maps in such a way that localisation and control of the aircraft may be perform precisely whilst remaining invariant to dynamic changes in the environment. The online map will be updated and integrated into the control objective when new and better quality measurements become available such as during a landing phase where higher resolution images are available closer to the ground.

The candidates for the PhD position are expected to have an Engineering MSc degree (EE, CS or Physics/Maths). Strong programming skills in C, C++, MATLAB or equivalent are required and experience in computer vision and robotics is desirable. Applicants demonstrating excellence in other related areas are encouraged to apply. International applications are encouraged and will receive logistic support with visa issues. The salary is 1757 Euro/month gross and will be indexed with inflation.

A detailed description of this position can be found: in English or in French

To Apply: Candidates are asked to apply rapidly as the project should begin in October 2009.

If you are interested in this position please contact: Dr. Andrew Comport or Professor Tarek Hamel and join a CV and a motivation letter.


City University of New York: Ph.D. fellowship

With the establishment of CUNY Center for Perceptual Robotics, Intelligent Sensors and Machines (PRISM Center), the City University of New York (CUNY) is expanding its robotics research program. Applications are invited for 2~3 Ph.D. fellowships available at the EE Department of the City College, City University of New York for incoming Ph.D. students in Fall’2009 semester. The successful candidates will be provided full fellowships for the first year. Tuition will be waved with possible RA or TA support for up to 5 years on the condition that the students maintain good academic stand.

Applicants are expected to have master degree in electrical engineering or computer science with solid mathematical and analytical skills. Exceptional undergraduates with research experience in robotics and control, computer vision are welcome to apply. In addition, strong programming skills using Matlab, C++ or Java are preferred.

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Jizhong Xiao jxiao@ccny.cuny.edu and submit your application package with resume, undergraduate/graduate transcripts, TOEFL and GRE scores, technical papers in English (if any), three reference letters to the CCNY office of admissions: http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/prospective/admissions/index.cfm. For more information about the CCNY Robotics Lab and PRISM Center, please visit http://robotics.ccny.cuny.edu


Uni. Western Australia: Medical Robotics

PhD and MSc positions in the Intelligent Systems for Medicine Laboratory at The University of Western Australia.

Our group comprises a multi-disciplinary research team with projects in the areas of surgical simulation, medical robotics, medical image registration and biomechanics. For more information contact Prof. Karol Miller.


Development of a Robotic Motion Simulator - Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics

PhD and MSc positions are available at the Department of Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics for the development of a novel paradigm for motion simulators based on the KUKA robocoaster robot.

Background: The user sits in a cabin mounted on the robot end-effector, looks at the virtual scene projected on the onboard screen, and acts on input devices such as joysticks or steering wheels. The robot is then actuated so as to reproduce the motion of the simulated vehicle. The large workspace capabilities of the robot make it possible to simulate any vehicle dynamics (airplanes, helicopters, cars, ships) as well as complex maneuvers such as barrel rolls.

Foreseen applications: * Training of pilots in stationary and extreme flight conditions

Examples of available topics:

Prerequisites

Candidates should possess a background in aerospace/electrical/mechanical/control engineering, computer science or physics. Familiarity with one (or more) of the following topics is expected: nonlinear control, general robotics, haptics, flying systems, virtual reality applications. Good knowledge of C/C++ and the Matlab/Simulink environment is also particularly desirable. Fluency in English is mandatory. Salary will be based on the German TVöD or equivalent MPG stipend. The Max-Planck Society wishes to increase the number of female co-workers, and applications from women are particularly encouraged. Applications from handicapped persons will be favored when all other qualifications are equal.

The interested applicants can contact Dr. Paolo Robuffo Giordano for further information, or visit our website. Applications should be sent to dagmar.maier@tuebingen.mpg.de with subject line “Sim-Job: (your name)”, and should include a CV, research statement, names of two referees with letters of recommendations (if available), and publication record (if any). Applications can be sent immediately and will be considered until the positions are filled.


See Also:

Note: ALL employers listed are equal opportunity employers (unless otherwise stated). RSS feed care of Liz Harte.

For questions, comments, concerns, more information, etc., please contact Surya Singh.