Ph.D. in Robot Design

The iCub Facilty at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian
Institute of Technology) is recruiting Ph.D. students to work on the
design of the iCub humanoid robot (www.icub.org), starting January 2014.

Designing a dependable iCub platform
This PhD program will contribute to the transition of current
humanoid robot design from the level of research prototypes to that of
engineered products. This project will develop a new generation of
reliable and dependable service robots building on the success of the
iCub humanoid robot. The reference task will be manipulation.

Alternative designs for the iCub robot through rapid prototyping
The increasing complexity of humanoid robots can be tackled with the
help of new manufacturing technologies. This PhD program will explore
new design approaches exploiting the freedom allowed by metal selective
laser melting (SLM) and rapid casting. Part geometries will be
optimized, with the help finite element analyses (FEA), to save weight,
and to achieve higher levels of system integration.

Requirements: the ideal candidates would have a background in mechanical
engineering or related disciplines, and in particular, skills in
machine design, CAD and FEA.

It is highly recommended that prospective students contact Prof. Giorgio Metta (giorgio.metta@iit.it) and Dr. Alberto Parmiggiani (alberto.parmiggiani@iit.it), in case of questions. International applications are encouraged and will receive logistic support with visa issues, relocation, etc.

The application deadline is September 20th
Full details of the call and the application procedure can be found at: http://www.iit.it/phdschool

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is an
English-language research institute based in Genoa (Italy), with
state-of-the-art laboratories and worldwide collaboration in the field
of robotics, machine learning, neuroscience, cognitive systems, and
nanotechnology.

The iCub Facility is the main integrator of IIT’s
research and technology on the iCub humanoid robot (www.icub.org). The
iCub was designed to support researchers in machine learning, control,
cognition, and interaction. We create opportunities for collaboration at
IIT and worldwide in a large network of iCub owners via European funded
projects or commercial contracts.