Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a vacancy for PhD Research Fellow in Semi-Autonomous Teleoperated Robots

The PhD research fellow will be part of the PhD programme in Computer Science: Software Engineering, Sensor Networks and Engineering Computing (https://www.hvl.no/en/research/phd-programmes/phd-programme-in-computer-science/). The research programme in Computer Science currently includes 20 professors and associate professors, more than 30 PhD and post-doctoral fellows, and a large number of master’s students. The PhD project will be done at the HVL Robotics Lab, which specializes in a wide range of robotics disciplines, including human-robot interaction, robot learning, soft robotics, computer vision, and agricultural robotics.

About the PhD project:

We are looking for a highly motivated and talented PhD research fellow to be part of the HVL Robotics Research group. The PhD project will target semi-autonomous teleoperation where human inputs and autonomous control commands should merge seamlessly.

Teleoperation becomes necessary when a robotic system cannot be designed to run with full autonomy, often due to the complexity of the task or the unsuitable robot environment. The operator gives control inputs to the robot through an input device (joystick, haptic input device, exoskeleton, etc.). However, in many scenarios, it is inefficient or too costly to implement a pure teleoperated system. This opens up the potential for a dynamic framework where the robot mostly operates autonomously and perceives the its environment solely through the sensor systems (2D/3D cameras, LIDARs, force/torque sensors, IMUs, etc.), but the human operator gets involved when needed to handle the more complex parts of the task. Additionally, the learned behaviour of a teleoperated robot through situational awareness and Learning from Demonstration (LfD) can improve the quality of teleoperation for complex tasks. The aim of the PhD project is to develop a dynamic semi-autonomous teleoperation system that addresses challenges in decision-making and handling of conflicts in semi-autonomous telerobotic systems by exploiting situational awareness and LfD.

The expected outcome of this project is a realistic and easily implementable solution for remote semi-autonomous teleoperation that can be applied to robot teleoperation scenarios in industrial, medical, and Inspection, Maintenance and Rescue (IMR) applications. The PhD research fellow will have access to both indoor and outdoor mobile robots and robot arms for experiments.

With this project you will work on:

1) implementing a low-latency teleoperation scenario of a robot arm and a mobile base,

2) goal prediction by fusing user intentions and situational awareness, and

3) varying the level of autonomy through shared control.

Research environment

The computer science research environment at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a strong focus on use-inspired and applied research, and on ICT as an enabling technology. The research environment has cooperation with many national and international research groups, and with national and regional industry partners. The research programme includes the research themes of software engineering, engineering computing, sensor networks and measurement technologies, grid computing and physics data analysis, machine learning, and interactive and collaborative systems.

The PhD research fellow will be part of the HVL Robotics Lab, a research and innovation centre for robotics at HVL. The group have access to state-of-the-art research facilities at Campus Førde, and a field lab for robotic research at Campus Sogndal/Leikanger. The research lab focuses on wide range of robotics disciplines, including human-robot interaction, robot learning, soft robotics, computer vision, and agricultural robotics through applied research projects with industry partners. With 1 Professor, 4 Assistant/Associate Professors and 8 PhD/Postdoc research fellows, HVL Robotics offers a close collaboration within variety of robotics disciplines. The robotics laboratory is equipped with several collaborative robot manipulators, mobile robots, and various sensors and actuators, enabling researchers to explore extended applications of their research.

PhD research fellows receive an annual work expense funding which can be used for conference participation, research visits, and equipment. The place of employment is Campus Førde.

Qualifications:

Qualification requirements:

You must hold a master’s degree in robotics, electrical engineering, mechatronics or computer science, or in a closely related field with a strong emphasis on robotics.
Good documented proficiency in English

Applicants for the position will be ranked based on:

A solid background, and any relevant research experience or high-quality publications, in robotics, machine learning, control theory, autonomous systems and mathematics.
- Special emphasis will be put on qualifications in robotic teleoperation, (semi-) autonomous systems, motion or intention estimation, machine learning and LfD
Previous involvement in research and innovation projects
The ability to carry out and publish high-quality research
Knowledge on ROS, Python, C++ and Matlab

The following qualifications will be considered an advantage when applicants are ranked:

Practical programming skills (e.g. Matlab, Python, C++) and experience with using ROS
Previous experience with experimental research and prototyping
Proficiency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
Possibility to timely start in the position

The following characteristics of the applicant will also be considered:

Confidence in working independently as a researcher, and in cross-disciplinary teams with industry partners
Capacity for dissemination and ability to positively contribute to advancement of robotics research at HVL
Potential for establishing relevant national and international research contacts
Curiosity and enthusiasm in problem solving
Excellent communication skills

Applicants should explicitly address the qualification and ranking criteria listed above in their application.

Candidates who have submitted a master’s thesis (but who has not yet been awarded a master’s degree) may also qualify for the position provided that the master`s degree is awarded within 4 weeks after the application deadline. Candidates already holding a PhD within this field are not eligible for this position.

In addition to the required educational and scientific background, the following criteria will be evaluated: competence and grades on completed course work, quality of the master's thesis (excellent grade, equivalent of grade B or better on the ECTS grading system), publications (if any), research and teaching experience, practical software engineering skills and experience. A possible outline of a research plan for a potential PhD project will also be taken into account.

The candidate must be diligent and display the ability to work independently, supplemented with regular guidance, and is expected to carry out high-quality research and to publish the results in international workshops, conferences, and journals.

The PhD research fellow must enrol in the PhD programme in Computer Science: Software Engineering, Sensor Networks and Engineering Computing at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and must meet the formal admission requirements for admission into the PhD programme. The position is announced for a period of 3 years. During the first year of appointment, it will be possible to apply for an extension to 4 years, with 25% of the 4-year period to be designated to duties such as teaching, development and administrative tasks. The employment period may be reduced if the successful applicant has held previous employment as a research fellow.

The PhD candidate will be assigned at least two academic supervisor(s) at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. An application for enrolment should first be submitted after an appointment is made and the supervisor(s) will help with this procedure. The candidate must be enrolled as a PhD student within 3 months from the start of the employment.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to HVL.

Application procedure:

Applications will be evaluated by an expert panel of three members.

Applicants are asked to submit their application and CV online. Please use the link “Apply for this job” (“Søk stillingen”).

The following documentation should be uploaded as an attachment to the online application:

Master Thesis
Copies of selected academic publications (no more than 15)
A CV with a complete list of academic publications
Diplomas and certificates

Applicants should indicate which publications or parts of publications should be given special consideration in the evaluation. If the documents submitted are not in a Scandinavian language or in English, the applicants must submit certified translations of these. The transcripts must specify the topics, the course works, and the grades at the bachelor`s and master`s degree levels.

Applicants with a degree from a country other than Norway, need to attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcripts of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, in addition to the original documents, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant encloses a recognition document showing that their degree is equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD. You can read more about applying for recognition of foreign higher education here.

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) offers an automatic recognition document for certain degrees from selected countries. If the applicant’s degree is covered by the automatic recognition, it will be sufficient to attach this document. Read more about automatic recognition here.

As the HK-dir application process may take some time it is recommended to apply to HK-dir as soon as possible. If you have not received a recognition document from HK- dir within the application deadline, please enclose documentation from HK-dir showing that they have received your application.

Applicants should note that the evaluation will be based on the documentation submitted electronically via Jobbnorge within the submission deadline. The applicants are responsible for ensuring that all the documentation is submitted before the closing date. It is of utmost importance that all publications to be considered in the evaluation are uploaded as an attachment with the application, since these are sent electronically to the expert panel. Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at the college.

Salary:

Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
Opportunities for training within the working hours

The Research Fellow position is compensated according to position code 1017 Research Fellow.

There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.

General information:

The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.

Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

Short-listed applicants will be called in for an interview.

Employed on condition that you are granted a work and residence permit (must be considered individually).

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to The Export Control Regulation. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

Inclusion, challenging norms, collaboration

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