Positions

Computational modeling of insect-inspired visuomotor control applied to autonomous mobile systems

This fully funded four year PhD project aims to translate biological principles of visual information processing into guidance and control architectures of autonomous robotic platforms. Insect-inspired mechanisms underlying visual attitude control and tracking will be integrated in a simulation framework to study the simultaneous performance of inner-loop stabilization tasks and outer-loop goal-directed behaviors. The project will be supervised/co-supervised by Prof Holger Krapp and Dr Huai-Ti Lin, respectively. The project may be tailored to include hardware integration but it is mainly computational. Given the global pandemic situation, remote working is possible. The latest start date of this position is 1st of March 2021. Imperial College London is fully committed to the continued success of students from the EU.

The long term goal of the project is to exploit the benefits of an active vision system (e.g. 3~6-axis camera gimbal) to improve the performance of low size, weight and power (SWAP) terrestrial and aerial platforms with different dynamics and under various environmental conditions. The results are relevant for general applications in autonomous platforms operating in GPS-denied scenarios, and allow for integration of other sensory inputs such as spectral, acoustic and chemical information.

Eligible candidates should be motivated, capable of critical and independent thinking, have good oral/written communication skills, like to work in a team and have obtained a master’s (merit or distinction) or bachelor’s (2.1 or first class) degree in engineering, mathematics, physical sciences or life sciences with particular interest in bioinspired approaches to control engineering. Prior experience in computational work using Matlab/Simulink/Python in the context of signal and image processing and/or control theory are desired. Hands-on experiences with mobile robots and/or machine vision are a bonus.  

Please contact Prof Krapp h.g.krapp@imperial.ac.uk and Dr Lin h.lin@imperial.ac.uk for inquiries or sending applications including a CV and a one page motivation letter. Applicants should also arrange for two reference letters to be sent to the supervisors.

Dr Huai-Ti Lin is looking for an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Placement (UROP) student to help further develop teaching materials for the Y4 module “Animal Locomotion and Bioinspired Robotics”. The student will work closely with Dr Huai-Ti Lin to self-driving race car platform and generate documentations/instructions. The student will also need to test some exercises and implement robotics demonstrations. The position is paid for up to 8 weeks in Summer 2019 according to the Imperial College UROP scheme stipend.

The ideal candidate is a graduating MEng student from the department which is passionate about robots and have experiences in mechatronics systems. The work will require coding as well as mechanical design, so the following skills are desirable:

• Good understanding of mechanics
• CAD drawing experience
• Laser cutting and 3D printing
• Programming in Matlab and Python (maybe also C)
• Image processing and analysis
• Machine vision & OpenCV

Please contact Dr Lin directly with your CV and two names of reference to inquire about the position.

In Neuromechanics & Bioinspired Technologies Laboratory, an ongoing project focuses on uncovering the role of active vision in the context of visual guidance using the dragonfly as a model system. The research involves sophisticated instrumentation in motion capture, virtual reality, electrophysiology, general mechatronics and robotics. This is a great position for student in-between undergraduate and applying for graduate programs. The job involves a lot of hands-on training in the area of robotics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.

Dr Lin is seeking a full-time Research Technician (1 year contract with the possibility of extending) to support and assist the experimental work, management of the lab and training of research students. A successful applicant must have a good undergraduate or Master degree in relevant engineering fields (e.g. bioengineering, robotics, electrical engineering, experimental physics) and have sufficient experience working in a research lab. We are specifically looking for candidates who are comfortable with custom instrumentation down to insect size, who can design simple devices from basic electronic components, and who can fabricate/assemble parts reliably (e.g. 3D printing and laser cutting). Further to this, a successful applicant will have excellent organisational skills and be able to work independently. A successful applicant will be enthusiastic about instrumentation and have excellent communication skills.

Formal application sites will be live shortly. You may submit informal inquiries with your CV to Dr Huai-Ti Lin (h.lin@imperial.ac.uk) with subject heading “NBits_Tech19”.