FELLOW POSITIONS IN “EFFICIENT MULTIMODAL NEUROMORPHIC PERCEPTION FOR HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION” ()

Project.
PRIMI %26mdash; HORIZON-CL-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02 - Grant Agreement n.
ommitment %26amp; contract.
entry level fellowship, collaboration contractLocation.
Genoa, ItalyABOUT USAt 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.
OUR TEAMThe research activities will be carried out under the supervision of Dr.
Chiara Bartolozzi and Dr.
Gaurvi Goyal.
You will be working in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary group, where computational scientists, neuromorphic engineers and robotics experts collaborate to carry out common research.
The current composition of the group consists of people from 6 different countries on 3 different continents.
he EDPR Research Unit is coordinated by Chiara Bartolozzi, who has extensive experience in neuromorphic engineering, and event-driven sensing and perception for robots.
The Neuromorphic domain is a strongly emerging alternative computing ecosystem that can provide a more sustainable option to mainstream digital computing.
he position is part of a larger EU project, PRIMI, that will rely on the efficiency and accuracy of neuromorphic sensing and computation and its link to the real-world dynamics through its asynchronous, event-driven nature, to support the development of the robot's understanding of itself, of the environment and of other agents.
This approach is deemed to deliver robots with human-like motor performance and interaction.
As part of the PRIMI project, you will interact with roboticists, neuromorphic engineers (while using the SpiNNaker2 platform) and neuroscientists.
ithin this broad context, we are working on two main projects.
Neuromorphic Human Pose Estimation and Neuromorphic Multimodal Perception.
euromorphic Human Pose EstimationWe will develop spiking neural networks for Human Pose Estimation at very high frequency, very low latency and high accuracy, with a precise estimation of the timing of the action, needed to better coordinate human and robot's cooperative interactions, to be deployed on the visual system of the iCub humanoid robot.
We will work at the intersection between neuromorphic perception and latest machine learning approaches, to build models that are robust to special and intersectional factors (gender, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, disability) including features such as adaptability to disabilities, aiming at deployment in assistive robotics and robotic enabled rehabilitation therapies.
To this aim, we will investigate and implement techniques in areas like meta learning, transfer learning and domain adaptation, that build the adaptability implicitly into the models with minimal new data to augment the training phases, for applications to uncommon cases where building large-scale dataset is either inefficient or impossible.
Neuromorphic Multimodal Perception We will develop neuromorphic multisensory perception to infer the state of the robot, of the environment, of humans and of their interaction, using proprioception, touch and vision, for precise action timing execution during physical human robot interaction.
We will use spiking, event-driven neuromorphic sensors integrated in the iCub robot, and neuromorphic spiking neural networks for the estimation and execution of task dynamics during physical human robot interaction.
To do so, we will study the development of a representation of the robot's body and networks for generating goal directed movements, taking inspiration from the brain.
OUR RESPOSIBILITYWithin the team, depending on your expertise and choice between one of the two main projects, your main responsibilities will be.
evelop spiking neural networks for human pose estimation, focusing on methods that are robust to intersectional factors and minimise training data;Optimize their implementation for low-latency and real-time, on neuromorphic hardware;Develop a method to integrate tactile, proprioceptive and visual cues to inform the robot on the task dynamics and execute movements;Team up with the other researchers in the project to integrate all modules on the iCub robotThis research is financed by the European Commission, within thePerformance in Robot Interaction via Mental Imagery (PRIMI) project.
SSENTIAL REQUIREMENTSA MSc in computer science, engineering, robotics, or related fieldsGood skills in algorithm development, programming, and analyzing and explaining your resultsGood command in spoken and written English ADDITIONAL SKILLS (though not necessary)Experience on circuit designKnowledge of spiking neural networks and/or learningBackground in neuromorphic engineeringGood communication skillsStrong problem solving attitudeHigh motivation to learnSpirit of innovation and creativityAdeptness at time and priority managementAbility to work in a challenging and international environmentAbility to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environmentExcited about getting hands-on experience with humanoid robotsCOMPENSATION %26amp; BENEFITSCompetitive salary for international standardsPrivate health care coverageWide range of staff discountsWHAT'S IN FOR YOU?%26bull; An equal, inclusive and multicultural environment ready to welcome you with open arms.
Discrimination is a big NO for us.%26bull; We like contamination and encourage you to mingle and discover what other people are up to in our labs.%26bull; 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.%26bull; 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.%26bull; 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.%26bull; 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.
f 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 2 references.
pplication's deadline.
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