Biomorphic Intelligence Lab PhD Position 2/4

TU Delft is a top tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence.

Biomorphic Intelligence Lab

Aerial robots are nowadays ubiquitous. Thanks to their nimbleness, maneuverability and affordability, drones are used in many sectors to monitor, map and inspect. To advance the technology further, flying robots can be given anthropomorphic-like manipulation capabilities to interact with the surroundings. The Biomorphic Intelligence Lab addresses some of the overarching challenges for this new class of aerial robots, using solutions that draw inspiration from biology in all three aspects of the robot:

SENSE: Bio-inspired perception, such as visual and tactile feedback on the drone, can provide information on the environment mimicking the sensory feedback that insects have in their body. Using retina-like event cameras, drones can perform obstacle avoidance and object detection tasks at a fraction of the power and latency costs of conventional hardware and algorithms. Additionally, enhancing tactile feedback on the aerial robot will prompt different behaviours in response to different force stimuli.

THINK: Bio-inspired, brain-like models from neuromorphic AI can help lower the computational load and speed up sensory data processing for navigation. This boosts real-time control and autonomy. Compliance embedded in the control of the robot also favours safe and robust interaction with unknown environments and targets.

ACT: Bio-inspired design and materials make the drone's body fit for interaction with unknown objects, and for safe response in case of external disturbances. Inspired by flying animals, the morphology of the robot encompasses the shape, configuration and materials. Together these features create embodied intelligence and are used to offset part of the complexity in the behaviour handled by the brain.

Taken together, in the Biomorphic Intelligence Lab, we tackle challenges in robustness and efficiency of interactive drones by using biologically inspired solutions both for the 'body' and the 'brain' of the robots, using techniques from embodied intelligence and neuromorphic AI.

The Biomorphic Intelligence Lab has 4 PhD positions:

2) PhD position 2: Tactile-driven Control for Aerial Robots (Sense, Think & Act)
(daily supervisor: Dr. Salua Hamaza, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering)

Tactile feedback plays a key role in human manipulation skills, it ensures safe interaction with delicate targets, it enables manipulation of soft malleable objects, it improves accuracy and user experience. Likewise, drones that interact with the environment need the sense of touch to conduct tasks precisely, safely and in real-time. Inspired by the anthropomorphic manipulation capabilities found in humans, the student will develop new control methods for drones interacting with the environment that are based on the sense of touch. These will enable the ability to adjust to external force stimuli in real-time, facilitating safe interaction in complex environments.

For a complete overview of the 4 positions, see www.tudelft.nl/ai/biomorphic-intelligence-lab

The Biomorphic Intelligence Lab is led by Dr. Salua Hamaza (Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Control & Operations) and Dr. Nergis Tomen (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Intelligent Systems).

We expect you to have:

• Completed a relevant MSc degree in an applied sciences field relevant to PhD research;
• An affinity with teaching and guiding students;
• Proficiency in expressing yourself verbally and in writing in English;
• The ability to work in a team and take initiative;
• Excellent critical and analytical thinking skills;
• Familiarity with hardware and system integration;
• Experience with ROS or hands-on robotics applications is a plus;
• Good knowledge of mechanical design, including modelling, kinematics & dynamics;
• bio-inspired control methods for manipulation;
• Excellent fabrication and system integration skills;
• Good programming skills in python, C++, MATLAB;
• Background knowledge in robotics hardware and sensors;
• Hands-on experience on UAVs (multicopters) is a plus.

You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

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! 

Biomorphic Intelligence Lab is a TU Delft Artificial Intelligence Lab. Artificial Intelligence, Data and Digitalisation are becoming increasingly important when looking for answers to major scientific and societal challenges. In a TU Delft AI Lab, experts in ‘the fundamentals of AI technology’ along with experts in ‘AI challenges’ run a shared lab. As a PhD, you will work with at least two academic members of staff and three other PhD candidates. In total TU Delft will establish 24 TU Delft AI Labs, where 48 Tenure Trackers and 96 PhD candidates will have the opportunity to push the boundaries of science using AI. Each team is driven by research questions which arise from scientific and societal challenges, and contribute to the development and execution of domain specific education. You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

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 250 PhD candidates and over 2,700 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, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three disciplines - electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make future-proof. We are also working on a world in which humans and computers reinforce each other. We are mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. There is plenty of room here for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1,100 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.