PhD Position Private and Secure Robot Coordination

Autonomous robots (such as cars, vessels, and drones) will be widespread in our daily lives, aiming at reducing pollution while improving traffic efficiency and safety. While these technologies have the potential to revolutionize our urban mobility, societal concerns in terms of safety, security, and privacy can overshadow their benefits. The goal of this PhD position is to design a cooperation framework to allow autonomous robots to safely navigate without revealing private information and while dealing with faults and attacks. We will employ tools for secure multi-party computation, multi-variant execution, and distributed numerical optimization to design this novel cooperation framework.

Experiments on real autonomous robots (e.g., ground robots) will demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design.

In this project, as a PhD candidate, you will investigate how to design a coordination algorithm for mobile robots that: (1) deals with the robots sharing private information in real time; (2) is resilient to faults and attacks.

The Cognitive Robotics department's primary focus is developing intelligent robots and vehicles that will advance mobility, productivity and quality of life. Our mission is to bring robotic solutions to human-inhabited environments, focusing on research in machine perception, motion planning and control, machine learning, automatic control and physical interaction of intelligent machines with humans. We combine fundamental research with the development of physical demonstrators in areas such as self-driving vehicles, collaborative industrial robots, mobile manipulators and haptic interfaces. Strong collaborations exist with cross-faculty institutes TU Delft Robotics Institute and TU Delft Transport Institute), our national robotic ecosystem (RoboValley, Holland Robotics) and international industry and academia.

You have a MSc degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Robotics, Systems and Control, or a related field. You have strong analytical skills and must be able to work at the intersection of several research domains. Good programming skills and experience with programming languages such as Python and C++ are of foremost importance. Excellent command of the English language is required, as well as excellent communication skills. Candidates with a strong track record in privacy-preserving algorithms, cyber-physical systems security, numerical optimization,  or robotics are especially encouraged to apply. Experience with applied cryptography is a strong plus.

TU Delft offers PhD-candidates a 4-year contract, with an official go/no go progress assessment after one year. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2395 per month in the first year to € 3061 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.

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 and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of 3mE carries out pioneering research, leading to new fundamental insights and challenging applications in the field of mechanical engineering. From large-scale energy storage, medical instruments, control technology and robotics to smart materials, nanoscale structures and autonomous ships. The foundations and results of this research are reflected in outstanding, contemporary education, inspiring students and PhD candidates to become socially engaged and responsible engineers and scientists. The faculty of 3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with an international scope and high-tech lab facilities. Research and education focus on the design, manufacture, application and modification of products, materials, processes and mechanical devices, contributing to the development and growth of a sustainable society, as well as prosperity and welfare.

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