Sweden: Post-doc at the Department of Computing Science
The Department of Computing Science at Umea University, Sweden (http://www.cs.umu.se) is seeking candidates for a post-doc scholarship within the field of robotics. The department’s robotics group conducts research in field robotics and cognitive robotics. In addition to substantial national funding, large external support comes from the European Council. We coordinate the INTRO project (http://www.introbotics.eu) and also work within the CROPS project (http://www.crops-robots.eu).
Research area
The scholarship is aimed for postdoctoral research related to CROPS, a project aiming at developing agricultural and forestry robots. A major part of the project deals with sensing and perception of fruit, branches, trees, bushes, rocks, and humans. For sensing, a combination of regular RBG cameras, multi-spectral cameras, laser scanners, and depth cameras is used. Machine learning is routinely used for perception, for instance for object detection and classification, but it can also be applied to other related tasks. For instance, an existing detection system can be given capabilities to adapt to new types of objects or new environmental conditions, either by on-line adaption or by off-line learning. Other interesting tasks include algorithms for feature generation, feature selection and classifier fusion. Solutions for these tasks can be either autonomous, or semi-autonomous - combining human intelligence and experience with machine learning power.
Benefits
The research will be performed jointly with senior researchers and PhD students in the group, as well as with international project partners. The scholarship is for two years and comes with a competitive stipend and insurance cover for medical and dental care, accident, and property. Insurance details can be found at: http://www.kammarkollegiet.se/files/forsakringar_riskhantering/GIF_1102.pdf
About the University and Umea
Umea University is a creative environment for learning and work. We offer a wide variety of courses and programmes, world leading research, and excellent innovation and collaboration opportunities. More than 4 000 employees and 37 000 students have already chosen Umea University. The town is shaped around the university and is young and vital. It is home to many music festivals and sports events, including world-class women’s soccer, floor ball and beach volley. The sports centre IKSU is the largest in northern Europe and offers a lot of activities for both beginners and professionals. Umea is considered the cultural centre of northern Sweden and is elected European Capital of Culture of 2014. It is easy to get around without a car, and the nearby city airport makes it simple to connect to the rest of the world.
Qualifications
Applicants should have earned a PhD in computer science, robotics, physics, electronics or similar. Preference will be given to applicants with documented research experience of machine learning and image analysis. Research interests should match the open research questions outlined above: how to combine machine learning with sensing and perception for field robotics applications. Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Ability to conduct independent research and proficiency in program development is considered highly valuable.
How to apply
The application should include:
- An introductory letter
- A statement of research interests
- A Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a publication list
- Copies of exam certificates, including documentation of academic courses and obtained grades
- Copies of relevant publications including PhD thesis
- Contact information for 2 to 3 references
Application can be made electronically (MS Word or PDF) or in paper format (one copy). We prefer an electronic application. Your complete application, marked with reference number 223-1721-12, should be sent to medel@diarie.umu.se (state the reference number as subject and Cc to thomash@cs.umu.se) or to the Registrar, Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea, Sweden to arrive September 6, 2012 at the latest.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Application Deadline: 6 September 2012