We have a fully-funded, 3-year PhD studentship available at the Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, starting from September 2021. We are seeking a highly creative and motivated applicant with a keen interest in doing research in robot perception and manipulation, using machine/deep learning and computer vision techniques.
This project aims to develop techniques for the manipulation of fabrics using robot manipulators embedded with tactile sensing and robot vision. Robot manipulation has been widely applied in industry for tasks such as warehouse operation and assembly. Research on robot manipulation has mainly focused on handling rigid objects so far. However, many important application domains require manipulating non-rigid or flexible objects such as fabrics, hoses and cables. Such objects are far more challenging to handle, as they can exhibit a much greater diversity of behaviours. The challenges involved, such as sensing capabilities (touch sensing and robot vision), perception of object properties and manipulation planning, need to be addressed to unlock the full potential of robot manipulation. This project will directly address these challenges by blending ideas coming from different disciplines including robotics, machine learning and computer vision. It is expected to create a robotic system to manipulate the fabrics autonomously, leveraging perception and learning through interaction.
This is a matched studentship for the recently funded EPSRC project “ViTac: Visual-Tactile Synergy for Handling Flexible Materials”: https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/T033517/1
Requirements:
- A 1st or 2.1 degree in an engineering discipline or computer science
- Solid background in computer programming (for example, Python, C++, Matlab)
- Proficiency in spoken and written English
- (Preferred) Previous coursework and/or practical experience in machine learning, especially in the deep learning libraries (Tensorflow, Torch etc.)
- (Preferred) Previous coursework and/or practical experience with ROS and robot platforms
- (Preferred) Solid background in mathematics
We offer:
- You will work at one of the world leading universities, and have the opportunity to work towards your PhD with a group of excellent scientists in Robotics
- You will receive funding for the standard minimum stipend and fees up to a Home/EU rate.
- Access to robot facilities in the lab (e.g., UR5 robot arms, multiple robotic grippers and many other robot platforms)
- Collaboration opportunities in both academia (we have been in collaboration with MIT researchers on research related to this project) and industry (potential placements at the project partners Unilever and the Shadow Robot Company)
For enquiries on the application process or to find out more about the programme please contact [Email Address Removed]. The deadline for application is 30th January 2021.
Qualified applicants are strongly encouraged to informally contact Dr. Shan Luo ([Email Address Removed]) to discuss the application prior to applying.
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