PhD Robotics and computer vision

PhD - Postdoc openings with Aalborg University

Start: Oct-Dec 2013

Aalborg University in Copenhagen has several open positions, including 2 open PhD positions and 2 open Post-Doc within two EU projects in the area of cognitive robotics for manufacturing.

You will be working in a large team which includes, in addition to excellent collaborators in research also collaborating companies such as PSA Peugeot Citroen Automobiles, BA Systèmes and Robotnik.

Our robotics lab is located on the AAU campus in the harbor area of Copenhagen.

Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, a very innovative and creative city and the world's capital for biking.

What are the projects about?

Both projects are concerned with autonomous and mobile robots in human-populated manufacturing environments. The aim of both projects is to automate handling and assembly tasks that can presently be done only by humans but which cause physical strains on the human body. The aim is that the robots a) are fast to program and b) are able to deal with natural variability in human-populated environments and c) are part of the manufacturing system while being controlled by the company’s MES system. This is to be seen in the bigger context ofintelligent manufacturing where we want to replace the rigid state-or-art robots with mobile cognitive manipulators. While nowadays robot use only pays off in large scale productions, the goal is to develop mobile cognitive manipulators that pay off even in small batch size productions. This can be achieved if they can be programmed on-the-fly (building up a modern production line can take up to a year and longer!!) and if production can be simply scaled up by adding more mobile manipulators.

We in Copenhagen are coordinator of one of the projects and are mainly concerned with the developing the cognitive robot skills. We will do this by integrating the competences of the partners (navigation, bin-picking, placing, multi-robot cooperation, planning) into a joint robot skill framework. The skills will be used for a) task planning, i.e. a planner will to automatic planning based on a task-goal, b) to improve and simplify robot programming human robot communication by providing a skill-based programming interface. The scenarios of the two projects differ in complexity of the tasks and the scenario.

The great thing of these projects are that we take a lean approach, where regular testing allows to identify the real problems and early end-user involvement assures that we stay focused through the entire project.

Why you should apply:

• • • Because your master or PhD thesis is within the areas of Machine Learning, Computer Vision or Robotics

  • • Because you are both a very good hacker and an agile developer

  • • Because you like to make things work

  • • You are proud of the results you achieve and like to present them

  • • You are wicket and smart, and you like to take responsibility

Whats more:

You should like French food and the Mediterranean climate because implementation work and system evaluations will be done each year for approx. 1-2 weeks in close collaboration with our partners from France and Portugal.

Application:

Applicants must submit:

• • • a one-page cover letter describing their background and interests,

  • • curriculum vitae (including publications),

  • • The names and contact details of 2 possible referees.

Applications should be sent, in a single PDF document, to:

jobs.rvmi@gmail.com

Applications can be sent immediately and will be evaluated until the positions are filled.

Questions can be directed to directed to Volker Krueger and Lazaros Nalpantidis

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PhD in mobile manipulation using a novel mobile manipulator for space exploration

The focus of this four-year research project is on mobile manipulation using

a novel mobile manipulator for space exploration which will be developed in

cooperation with DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence).

Positions

(1) Whole-Body Robot Dynamic Control. The main task of the candidate is on

the design and implementation of novel whole-body robot dynamic control

algorithms for the robot, therefore we expect strong background in control

engineering. Experience in humanoid control, torque control and/or vibration

control is desirable as well as practical experience with MATLAB/Simulink,

DSpace, and/or VHDL/FPGAs.

(2) Dynamic Manipulation Planning. The main task of the candidate is on the

design and implementation of novel dynamic, real-time, dual-arm manipulation

planning algorithms, therefore we expect strong background in planning,

specifically for robotic manipulation in dynamic environments. Expierence in

manipulation with mobile robotic systems would be a plus, as well as in

robot collision avoidance.

Both positions expect as well experience with Linux, real-time operating

systems, and C/C++ programming skills, as well as the ability to work in

small and medium-sized teams. Experience in OROCOS and/or ROS would be a

plus as well as knowledge about neuroscience principles for motion

generation.

There is the possibility to prepare PhD theses in the given time frame when

applying as PhD but the positions are also open to Post-doc candidates.

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PhD Position at the Center for Mathematical Morphology

TEXT ANALYSIS FROM RECEIPTS IMAGES AND VIDEOS

CIFRE agreement with SKEROU (http://skerou.com)

1. Description

Text recognition from mobile phone is of quickly growing importance. Differences abound between trying to find and read a limited quantity of text on a frame that may include anything, and reading a large amount of text on a frame that is known to contain mainly text.

Skerou focuses on the latter, and aims at analyzing text from grocery receipts.

Skerou is a start-up whose goal is to empower consumers handing them the data about their consumption. With a simple picture (or video) of their receipt, Skerou finds all the items purchased reading, but also understanding, the text of the receipt, and gives that information back to the consumer. The Skerou application then helps consumers make better decisions based on their habits, following their spending, automating their shopping list reminding them what they should soon renew, or letting them use promotions without any couponing.

The goal of this PhD is to develop the whole image processing chain, from the receipt image or video to its semantic interpretation. The following topics, among others, will be addressed:

a.. Image correction of specific mobile biases: geometric deformations, extended depth of focus, illumination correction╜

b.. Adaptive filtering exploiting receipt characteristics in order to optimize OCR processing

c.. Video processing of very long receipts, simplifying the data acquisition process for the end user.

d.. Super-resolution techniques in order to enhance image quality

Place: Center for mathematical morphology. Mines ParisTech. Fontainebleau. (http://cmm.ensmp.fr)

Requirements:

Good knowledge of image processing and machine learning techniques.

Good programming skills (C++)

Fluent English.

Application file: a detailed résumé, a list of studies, a transcript of your academic records, a motivation letter and a list of persons to be contacted for recommendation letters.

For further details, please contact Gregory Thurin (gregory@skerou.com) or Beatriz Marcotegui (Beatriz.Marcotegui@mines-paristech.fr)

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1. PhD at LAAS-CNRS Toulouse

A PhD Scholarship in the area of "Deliberate Action in Robotics"

is being offered at LAAS-CNRS, University of Toulouse, for the fall 2012,

under the joint supervision of Felix Ingrand and Malik Ghallab.

Application deadline: May 6

Details here:

http://homepages.laas.fr/malik/Home/Students_files/PhDProposal.pdf

2.

Please verify with the professor if he accepts English as the medium of research. ( good Lab and work since my friend finished his research under them)

Cette annonce a été diffusée par Vincent FREMONT (Université de Technologie de Compiègne - Laboratoire Heudiasyc UMR CNRS/UTC 7253).

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Sujet : Réalité augmentée mobile et interactive pour l’assistance à la conduite

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Fichier joint : http://www.gdr-robotique.fr/Templates/annonces/1334152056_PhD_position_2012_RAMIAC_French.pdf

Offre de thèse au laboratoire Heudiasyc UMR CNRS/UTC 7253 : Réalité augmentée mobile et interactive pour l’assistance à la conduite. Détails de l'offre dans la pièce jointe.

Mots-clés : réalité augmentée, vision 3D, interaction, systèmes d’aide à la conduite.

Contacts : Vincent.Fremont@hds.utc.fr - Indira.thouvenin@hds.utc.fr

Candidatures : envoyer CV, lettre de motivation et lettres de recommandation aux contacts ci-dessus.

Send : CV, recco letters with the contact details of the person who recommends you and motivation letter