Doctoral student in Multimodal ML for Human-Robot Interaction - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Computer Science

In this project the student will design, develop, evaluate, and optimize a telepresence platform specifically developed for collecting multimodal data for posterior automation. Unsupervised and supervised multimodal machine learning models alongside multimodal fusion techniques will be explored to evaluate the quality of the telepresence platform. Mixed reality technologies will also be explored for the creation of the telepresence platform as they offer an excellent opportunity for data collection (and consequent learning of multimodal models of social behaviour). Users’ mixed reality headsets allow for extracting multiple modalities such as real-time head-pose, eye-gaze information, pupil dilation, and high framerate Point of View (PoV) video data.

This position is partially funded by the Digital Futures project on "Using Neuroimaging Data for Exploring Conversational Engagement in Human-Robot Interaction". This project will leverage a multidisciplinary research collaboration with Julia Uddén from the Linguistics department at SU where we will aim to study social robotics by exploring the modality of observing underlying neural processes of people that are observing, interacting with, and controlling robots. Understanding these neural processes and how they integrate with other modalities will help us provide contributions to the research areas of Human-Robot Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Psycho- and Neurolinguistics and Neurobiology of Language.

The student would be supervised by André Pereira, an artificial intelligence and human-robot interaction researcher at KTH in the division of speech music and hearing (TMH).  The starting date is open for discussion, although we would like the successful candidate to start at the beginning of 2022.

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Work and study in Stockholm, close to nature and the water.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree),
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyse and work with complex issues.

The candidate must have a degree in Computer Science or related fields. Documented written and spoken English and programming skills are required. Experience with machine learning, human-robot interaction, and human-computer interaction are relevant for this position.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Union representatives

You will find contact information for union representatives on KTH's website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

You will find contact information for doctoral section on the section's website.

Application

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/entral European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.