Details

Project Details

The CoSy Project is an EU funded project on Cognitive Robotics in which the post holder will work on manipulation and affordances for manipulation. The CogX project is an EU funded project in which the postholder will work on learning of affordances for manipulation and on a robotic implementation of the theory of modular motor learning.

Role Purpose

To plan and deliver research in line with the School research strategy. To contribute to the research activities of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory and AI/Cognitive Science group. To provide expertise necessary to develop the area of learning of manipulation, motor learning, and learning of affordances.

Main Responsibilities

• To plan and carry out high quality research within the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, using appropriate methodologies.
• To contribute to writing bids for research grants.
• To suggest and contribute to the development of research methods in collaboration with colleagues.
• To disseminate research findings using appropriate and effective media such as journal and conference publications, research seminars etc.
• To provide guidance to other staff and students on own specialist area.
• To contribute to the writing of research reports and publications.
• To analyse and interpret the results of own research and generate ideas based on outcomes.

Dimensions

The post-holder will work as a core member of the Intelligent Robotics group in the School of Computer Science. The group currently holds approx. £ 1.9m of external research funding. The primary role of the post-holder will be to conduct research of the highest calibre, and to contribute to the engineering of state of the art software systems for robotics. The post-holder will be expected to contribute to maintaining the research income at this level by contributing to the writing of grant proposals. In addition, the post-holder will also provide instruction and guidance to members of the group, PhDs students, researchers and visitors working in related areas within the School of Computer Science.

The post-holder will be expected to contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, curriculum development and project supervision in own area of expertise, in accordance with the contract of employment for an EU-funded research fellow.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

• Excellent first degree in a numerate discipline (Computer Science, Mathematics or related) and either hold or be working towards an excellent PhD in Computer Science, AI, Cognitive Science, Engineering or a related subject, OR equivalent research experience, including if possible robotics/vision research experience and linux expertise.
• Excellent programming skills, in C/C++ or Java, together with the ability to engineer software to very high standards of reliability.
• Experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and disseminating high-quality research.
• Breadth and depth of knowledge within the field of robotic manipulation and computer vision. It would be advantageous to have knowledge of machine learning, and some familiarity with theories of motor learning in robots and humans.
• Excellent presentation skills and communication skills, both oral and written.
• Outstanding software engineering and team working skills.
• Self-motivation and enthusiasm to tackle real-world problems.
• Ability and willingness to learn new formalisms and techniques.

Job Features

Planning and Organising

• Plan and deliver research and ensure that resources are available.
• Plan and co-ordinate research in own area of expertise and international research collaborations.

Decision Making

• Sole responsibility for decisions with regard to own research area and that of supervised PhD students.
• Role in decisions regarding the strategies for developing research in the Intelligent Robotics group relevant to own area of expertise, including directions of research and strategies for dissemination and publication of results.

Internal/External Relationships

• Role in maintaining and establishing research collaborations with academics, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students both in the UK and abroad.