This Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is part of a new EU project for developing an autonomous floor washing robot. It is focussed in the area of robot perception, based on laser range-finder and RGB-D sensors, for human detection, tracking and motion analysis in dynamic environments. Primary tasks include developing novel algorithms and approaches for enabling the acquisition, maintenance and refinement of multiple human motion trajectories for collision avoidance and path optimization. Additional tasks include integration of the algorithms with the robot navigation and on-board floor inspection system, and relevant project management activities.
Description
The University of Lincoln is seeking to appoint a new Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Service Robotics (Robot Perception for Human Tracking and Motion Analysis) to join the Centre for Autonomous Systems Research (L-CAS). The centre is internationally recognized for its research in sensing, mapping, and control for autonomous systems, and currently comprises 7 staff, 4 postdoctoral research fellows and 16 post-graduate research students. The successful candidate will be employed as part of a European collaborative project, involving academic institutes and industrial partners across five European countries.
The project will develop a floor washing robot for industrial, commercial, civil and service premises, such as supermarkets and airports. Floor washing tasks have many demanding aspects, including autonomy of operation, navigation and path optimization, safety with regards to humans and goods, interaction with human personnel, easy set-up and reprogramming. The project addresses these problems by integrating existing and new solutions to produce a professional floor washing robot for wide areas.
This Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is focussed in the area of robot perception, based on laser range-finder and RGB-D sensors, for human detection, tracking and motion analysis in dynamic environments. Primary tasks include developing novel algorithms and approaches for enabling the acquisition, maintenance and refinement of multiple human motion trajectories for collision avoidance and path optimization. Additional tasks include integration of the algorithms with the robot navigation and on-board floor inspection system, and relevant project management activities.
The fellowship offers the opportunity to engage in international collaboration within an ambitious team, to work with state-of-the-art robotic hardware and software, and to benefit from excellent support to produce and disseminate original research contributions. The successful candidate should possess a PhD or equivalent. They will have excellent skills in robot programming and systems integration. Hands-on practical experience in areas including (but not limited to) robot perception, sensor fusion, multi-target tracking, machine learning and robotics middleware would also be an advantage. The successful candidate will design, conduct and manage original research in the above subject areas, as well as contribute to the wider activities of L-CAS. Evidence of authorship of research outputs of international standing is essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, including excellent communication skills.
Informal enquiries about the post can be made to Dr Nicola Bellotto (email: nbellotto@lincoln.ac.uk) or Prof Tom Duckett (email: tduckett@lincoln.ac.uk).
Nr of positions available : 1
Research Fields
Computer science - Other
Career Stage
Experienced researcher or 4-10 yrs (Post-Doc)
Research Profiles
Recognised Researcher (R2)
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Salary: From £31,342 per annum
This post is fixed term for 3 years
Closing Date: Tuesday 13 January 2015
Interview Date: Wednesday 28 January 2015
Reference: COS146B
**Previous applicants need not apply**
http://jobs.lincoln.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=COS146B