PhD Student in Human-Robot Interaction

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About the Department

The RSS (Robotics and Semantic Systems) department consists of several closely collaborating research groups conducting research and education in robotics and AI, intelligent autonomous systems, robot learning, machine learning, human-robot interaction, and language processing.

The department operates the RobotLab LTH in collaboration with the Department of Automatic Control, a laboratory featuring various types of robots and related systems, from small drones to classic industrial robotic arms. Research is also conducted, often in collaboration with other national and international colleagues and partners, in areas such as self-driving cars or maritime vessels.

The overarching goal for the researchers in the department is to create intelligent autonomous (robot) systems, i.e., to equip various types of robotic systems with skills and knowledge that enable smoother collaboration with humans in various contexts. The department currently comprises about 20 employees, of which about 10 are PhD students, making RSS one of the larger departments within the Department of Computer Science.

About Being a PhD Student

As a PhD student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University.

As a doctoral student, you are trained in a scientific approach. This can be briefly described as gaining practice in critical and analytical thinking, solving problems independently with the right methodological choices, and developing research ethics awareness. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work on projects, develop your leadership skills, and enhance your pedagogical abilities. Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. The doctoral studies conclude with a dissertation and a doctoral degree.

More about being a PhD student at LTH can be found at lth.se (https://lth.se).

Subject and Project Description

The PhD project is within the field of Human-Robot Interaction and will be supervised by Associate Professor Elin A. Topp. The project will be part of a joint initiative with a research group at Linköping University (led by Fredrik Heintz). The project aims at agent-based, multi-robot interaction in safety-relevant applications (public safety / search and rescue), where so-called mixed-initiative will play a crucial role (see also here (https://elliit.se/project/an-agentic-approach-to-mixed-initiative-multi-robot-interaction-for-public-safety-applications/)). The research education subject for the PhD project at Lund University is computer science, focusing on the computational aspects of an integrated system that can handle the complex context of interaction between a human and a larger number of different robotic systems to support the human in controlling the system and maintaining oversight.

We are looking for a person enthusiastic about practical work in robotics, based on theoretical foundations in AI and machine learning, who has strong theoretical and mathematical knowledge and is keen to promote the development of the next generation of robotic systems that can learn from and collaborate with humans.

Responsibilities

You will primarily focus on your doctoral education, which includes participation in research projects as well as participation in doctoral courses, seminars, and conferences.

Your responsibilities will also include involvement in teaching and other departmental work (max 20% of working hours). The employment period will be extended accordingly.

The PhD position also includes travel, e.g., to conferences or for project meetings in collaboration with the partner group in Linköping. It is also expected that you actively participate in ELLIIT’s annual workshop (elliit.se/news-and-events/elliit-workshop (https://elliit.se/news-and-events/elliit-workshop)).

Qualifications

To be admitted and employed as a PhD student, you need to meet the requirements below.

Eligibility Requirements

Basic eligibility for doctoral education is met if you have:

• a completed master's degree or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at the master's level or
• acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way.

Specific eligibility for the research education subject of computer science is met if you have:

• at least 60 higher education credits at the master's level relevant to the subject area, or
• a master's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, information and communication technology, engineering physics, or technical mathematics.

For the full advertisement, please see: https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:889117/ (https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:889117/)

Welcome with your application!

LTH – Lund Institute of Technology – is the engineering faculty at Lund University. At LTH, we educate people, build knowledge for the future, and work hard to develop society. We create space for brilliant research and inspire creative development in technology, architecture, and design. Nearly 10,000 students study here. Each year, our researchers – many of whom work in world-leading profile areas – publish around 100 dissertations and 2,000 scientific findings. A number of research results and student projects are refined into innovations. Together, we explore and create – for the benefit of the world.

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