As a PhD student, you will work on the development and evaluation of a mechanical exoskeleton, or walking orthosis, the CloudWalker. This exoskeleton helps people with paralysis of the legs, for example in the case of paraplegia, to walk independently. The project is a collaboration of TU Delft, Erasmus MC and Rijndam Rehabilitation, in Rotterdam. 

A first prototype has been made and tested with healthy people. You will further develop the prototype, based on the test results and on input from end users/patients and possible future manufacturers. You will design new mechanisms for the exoskeleton and build a new prototype. You work most of the week in Delft, but you are also regularly in Rotterdam. In Delft you work on the design and production of new prototypes. You will test your designed prototype with people with spinal cord injury. You will arrange the ethical permission for testing. The tests will take place in Rotterdam, at Erasmus MC and at the Rijndam rehabilitation center. You will publish the results in scientific journals. You present your work at international conferences. 

You are the connecting factor in the collaboration between technicians, clinicians, patients and future producers. You are sociable. You establish new contacts on your own initiative. You communicate easily in Dutch with patients. You strengthen the collaboration between Delft and Rotterdam. 

• Master's degree in Biomedical Mechanical Engineering, or similar.
• Good command of Dutch, necessary due to patient contact.
• Good command of English.
• Demonstrable design skills.
• Demonstrated experience in building prototypes (with mechanical aspect).
• Creative in designing new mechanisms.
• Socially competent in dealing with patients and non-technical professionals.
• Basic knowledge of anatomy.
• Basic knowledge of medical devices.
• CAD skills, SolidWorks or similar.
• Independent, not wait-and-see, but takes initiative.
• Positively critical of own work.

 Nice to have: 

• Technical interest outside professional career
• Experience with a motion capture system.
• Proficient with OpenSim.
• Experience with Arduino.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 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, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

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 as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the 3mE faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in 3mE’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.