The University of Twente
The University of Twente is an entrepreneurial research university, located about 200 km from Amsterdam in Enschede, a city in Twente, the garden of the Netherlands with excellent recreation facilities. Organised over 5 faculties, the UT offers 20 educational programs ranging from applied physics, public and business administration, communication studies and diverse programs in engineering technology. Research takes place within the context of institutes and focuses, among other things, on nanotechnology, information and communication technology (CTIT), biomedical technology, policy studies, construction management & engineering, and mechanics. More than 7,000 students and 3,000 staff members live, work and recreate at the UT, the Netherlands’ only campus university with a park-like atmosphere and numerous sporting facilities.
Research institutes
The research will be carried out in the Control Engineering (CE) laboratory of the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EWI), which is embedded among other in the Institute of Mechanics Processes And Control Twente (IMPACT).
The Control Engineering group of the
University of Twente has a vacancy for
University of Twente has a vacancy for
PhD students in the project ‘BOBBIE’
Introduction
The aging population will be putting increasingly great pressure on the health care system. The continuing trend of aging will clearly increase the difficulty to provide care to acceptable standards.
The type of elderly care most needed yet least provided by overloaded care professionals is (non-critical) assistance in daily living: fetching objects, opening/closing doors and drawers, operating switches, etcetera.
Thanks to recent advances in robotics and mechatronics, computing, vision and software, it is now starting to become possible to create robotic versions of so-called care dogs. In the Netherlands, all key technologies for these personal robots are available, but they have not been brought together in an economically viable industry. The key problem is that this is an industry that needs to be bootstrapped: it requires convincing operational prototypes for affordable costs and a convincing user application study.
The type of elderly care most needed yet least provided by overloaded care professionals is (non-critical) assistance in daily living: fetching objects, opening/closing doors and drawers, operating switches, etcetera.
Thanks to recent advances in robotics and mechatronics, computing, vision and software, it is now starting to become possible to create robotic versions of so-called care dogs. In the Netherlands, all key technologies for these personal robots are available, but they have not been brought together in an economically viable industry. The key problem is that this is an industry that needs to be bootstrapped: it requires convincing operational prototypes for affordable costs and a convincing user application study.
About the project
This project will result in new methods to design a robot system, using standardized architectures, which can safely work in a care situation. As a proof of these methods, a specific realization in the form of a safely working prototype will be shown as an end result.
This type of personal robots are expected to become a market with a similar influence as the personal computer market. Comparing the two markets, we are now in the era before the design of the IBM standard PC architecture. There are very few personal robotic systems on the market, they are expensive, and components are not interchangeable. Identical to how the IBM architecture revolutionized the PC market, the creation of design standards for personal robots will open up the great potential of the personal robotics market, and the Dutch Industry can play a key role.
This type of personal robots are expected to become a market with a similar influence as the personal computer market. Comparing the two markets, we are now in the era before the design of the IBM standard PC architecture. There are very few personal robotic systems on the market, they are expensive, and components are not interchangeable. Identical to how the IBM architecture revolutionized the PC market, the creation of design standards for personal robots will open up the great potential of the personal robotics market, and the Dutch Industry can play a key role.
What we ask
An MSc or comparable degree in engineering with demonstrated abilities in the
fields of research described: software, control and mechatronic design. Good knowledge of the English language in written and spoken form. Ability to perform research individually and also work in a team.
fields of research described: software, control and mechatronic design. Good knowledge of the English language in written and spoken form. Ability to perform research individually and also work in a team.
What we offer
Gross monthly salary for the PhD position range from 2042 to 2612 Euro. In addition to this, we offer a holiday allowance (amounts to 8%), an end-of-year bonus (amounts to 8,3 %), various sporting and cultural facilities at reduced rate, medical insurance at a reduced rate.
Contact information
Applications can be sent via email to the secretarial office of Control Engineering ce@ewi.utwente.nl before the 1st of March 2010 and mention the vacancy number 10/004 of this vacancy.
Applications should be received by us, not later than 1 March 2010.
Please send your applications to: CESecretary@ewi.utwente.nl, and mention the vacancy number 10/004of this vacancy.
