Research fellow on egocentric computer vision for task-guided prosthesis control – (22000071)

Project: Finanziato dall’Unione Europea – NexGeneration EU, nell’ambito del Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, Missione 4 Componente 2 – Investimento 1.5 – ““RAISE (Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment”, CUP J33C22001220001)

Commitment & contract: Collaboration contract, 1 year with possibility of extensions

Location: Genoa

ABOUT US

At IIT we work enthusiastically to develop human-centered Science and Technology to tackle some of the most pressing societal challenges of our times and transfer these technologies to the production system and society. Our Genoa headquarters are strictly interconnected with the other 11 centers around Italy and two outstations based in the US. We promote excellence in basic and applied research such as neuroscience and cognition, humanoid technologies and robotics, nanotechnology, materials for a truly multidisciplinary scientific experience.

YOUR TEAM  

You will be working in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary group, where mechanical, electrical, software engineers, and robotics experts collaborate to carry out common research. 

The laboratory Humanoid Sensing and Perception  coordinated by Lorenzo Natale focuses on humanoid robotics and in particular AI, machine vision, tactile sensing, and software architectures for robotics. You will contribute to the RAISE project, in particular on the task Egocentric vision for task-guided prosthesis control. This research focuses on the development of algorithms for human action anticipation from a human-centric perspective with the aim to improve prosthetic arms usability during activities of daily living. 

Upper limb prosthetic systems may be life-changing devices for amputees and recent work has demonstrated strong potential in the application of the latest computer vision and machine learning techniques to their control for grasping objects. However, effectively performing daily living activities with a prosthetic arm is still an open and exciting challenge which will be tackled in this project. Your main tasks will include: 

Devising and developing ad hoc machine learning algorithms that exploit several sources of sensory data (RGB and Depth image sequences but also possibly EMG or IMU signals) to interpret and anticipate the user’s intention during their actions with the prosthetic arm. 

Devising and developing a shared control system that will tightly integrate the user and the action anticipation system, allowing to effectively control the IIT Hannes prosthesis for a set of activities of daily living. 

Participate in the field test and experimental validation. 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related disciplines;

• Good knowledge of programming languages such as C/C++, Python;

• Good knowledge of computer vision and machine learning (especially deep learning);

• Good knowledge of state-of-the-art deep learning libraries/frameworks, such as Pytorch, Tensorflow;

• Proficient in English language (written and oral);

• Creative, proactive and collaborative attitude;

• Strong motivation to work with real robotic systems.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Experience working with real robotic systems;

• Experience with OpenCV and computer vision libraries;

• Experience with GIT;

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment;

• Good in time and priority management;

• Strong problem-solving attitude;

• High motivation to learn;

• Good communication skills.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

• Competitive salary package for international standards

• Wide range of staff discounts

• Candidates from abroad or Italian citizens who permanently work abroad and meet specific requirements, may be entitled to a deduction from taxable income of up to 90% from 6 to 13 years.

WHAT’S IN FOR YOU?

• An equal, inclusive and multicultural environment ready to welcome you with open arms. Discrimination is a big NO for us!

• We like contamination and encourage you to mingle and discover what other people are up to in our labs! 

• If paperwork is not your piece of cake, we got you! There’s a specialized team working to help you with that, especially during your relocation! 

• If you are a startupper or a business-minded person, you will find some exceptionally gifted professionals ready to nurture and guide your attitude and aspirations.

• If you want your work to have a real impact, in IIT you will find an innovative and stimulating culture that drives our mission to contribute to the improvement and well-being of society!

• We stick to our values! Integrity, courage, societal responsibility and inclusivity are the values we believe in! They define us and our actions in our everyday life. They guide us to accomplish IIT mission!

If you feel this tickles your appetite for change, do not hesitate and apply!

Please submit your application using the online form and including a detailed CV, university transcripts, cover letter (outlining motivation, experience and qualifications) and contact details of 1 references.

Application’s deadline: November 15, 2022

The Selection processes will be managed in compliance with the provisions established in Article 7 of the Funding Decree 1053 del 23.06.2022

We inform you that the information you provide will be used solely for the purposes of evaluating and selecting professional profiles in order to meet the requirements of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.

Your data will be processed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, based in Genoa, Via Morego 30, acting as Data Controller, in compliance with the rules on protection of personal data, including those related to data security.

Please also note that, pursuant to articles 15 et. seq. of European Regulation no. 679/2016 (General Data Protection Regulation), you may exercise your rights at any time by contacting the Data Protection Officer (phone Tel: +39 010 28961 – email: dpo@iit.it  – kindly note that this e-mail address is exclusively reserved for handling data protection issues. Please, do not use this e-mail address to send any document and/or request of information about this opening).