The EU H2020 project WEAFING will develop innovative garments with integrated textile actuators, sensors, and electronics for haptic stimulation based on electroactive polymer threads. We will advance the technology of electroactive fabrics resulting in lightweight and flexible textile actuators. Integration of the actuators in wearables takes into account different textile morphologies, soft mechatronics, and human perception and information processing. The garments developed will have a high level of wearability as the actuator is the garment itself and the technology is silent.

This technology provides mechanical stimulation (i.e. haptic stimuli) that are unprecedented by current haptic technology and may impact many aspects of our lives. WEAFING will explore several use cases like navigation for firefighters and visually impaired users and social communication at a distance (remote hug).

As PhD student you will work closely together with other experts in the project and have a strong focus on the end user. Relevant questions include: what stimuli can you feel and do they feel? How can these unique haptic stimuli present information needed for a specific use case? How should the garment and the stimuli be designed to optimize user acceptance and performance? To answer these questions you apply the following skills:

• Psychophysics to explore human perception for the specific mechanical stimuli.
• Human centered design and programming to determine the user needs and design and implement the appropriate haptic information cues.
• Human Factors research to design and analyse evaluation studies with end-users.

Requirements:

• You have a master degree in Computer Science, Cognitive Psychology or any other topic related to human perception and human-computer interaction, relevant expertise in the area of touch, and experience with human participants experiments.
• You are a good collaborator who is able to combine and extend current knowledge and know-how and work in a multidisciplinary and international team.
• You have an excellent command of English.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION
For more information please contact Dr. Angelika Mader, a.h.mader@utwente.nl. Please submit your application before 31 March 2019. Your application must include:

• CV
• A statement of your interest and vision, and
• Contact information for two or more references. 

We offer a very challenging fulltime position for four years in an inspiring multidisciplinary and international environment. In accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU) the gross monthly salary ranges from € 2325,- in the first year to € 2972,- in the fourth year. Additionally, the University of Twente provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and a number of additional benefits.

The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which leads change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university of the Netherlands; divided over five faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. We have a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly support women to apply.

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) comprises three disciplines that shape Information and Communication Technology. ICT is more than communication. In almost every product we use mathematics, electronics and computer technology and ICT now contributes to all of societies' activities. The faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. The research which enjoys a high profile both at home and internationally, has been accommodated in the multidisciplinary research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centra and Digital Society Institute.