Browse thousands of opportunities across our network of innovative companies
Postdoctoral Researcher - Whole-Body Sensing and Manipulation
Toyota Research Institute
Cambridge, MA, USA
Posted on Thursday, November 2, 2023
At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, Energy and Materials, Machine Learning, and Robotics.
The Team
The Punyo team bridges complementary research and engineering expertise in physical human-robot interaction, soft robotics, contact planning and controls, humanoid systems, software development, robots for entertainment, machine learning, and user-centered design. We're working on highly compliant, tactile-sensing robotic systems for manipulating the larger, heavier objects in one’s home and physical mobility assistance.
The Postdoc
This year-long postdoctoral research position will be highly integrated into our team with hands in both ongoing and new research and development threads in the areas of:
- Contact-rich planning and control for compliant manipulation systems
- Robot learning methods for contact-rich skills
- Multimodal tactile sensing and sensor fusion
- Physical human-robot interaction
This researcher will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with our team at TRI on high-risk, high-reward projects, pushing forward our understanding of contact-rich manipulation. This is an applied position where we aim to implement developments robustly on hardware in real-world environments.
We welcome you to join a positive, friendly, and enthusiastic team of researchers, where you will contribute to helping people gain and maintain independence, access, and mobility!
Responsibilities
- Develop, integrate, and deploy algorithms for motion planning and control, planning for rich-contact tasks, and whole-body dexterous manipulation.
- Develop and integrate control algorithms that exploit tactile feedback and multi-modal sensing in constrained domestic environments.
- Invent and deploy innovative solutions at the intersection of machine learning, soft-robotics, tactile sensing, manipulation, human interaction, and simulation for performing useful tasks, in and around homes.
- Co-invent novel ways to engineer and learn robust, real-world behaviors, incorporating optimization, planning, reactive control, self-supervision, learning from demonstration, simulation and transfer learning, real-world adaptation, etc.
- Work closely with Human-Robot Interaction researchers in understanding human motion, needs, and applications.
- Follow best practices producing maintainable code, including automated testing, continuous integration, code style conformity, and code review.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in a relevant technical field.
- A strong background with motion planning methods, specifically contact-aware planning methods, for multi-DoF dexterous manipulation in cluttered and constrained environments.
- Strong software engineering skills, preferably in C++ and Python, and in analysis and debugging of autonomous robotic systems.
- A standout colleague with strong communication skills, and an ability to learn from others and contribute back to the robotics community with publications or open source code.
- Passionate about assisting and amplifying older adults and those in need through domestic manipulation, human-robot collaboration, and physical assistance innovation.
Additional experience or knowledge in any of the following areas
- Reactive planning and control, coordinated whole-body control, dexterous manipulation, grasp planning, and human interaction.
- Application of machine learning to robotics, including reinforcement, imitation, and transfer learning.
- Tactile sensing, modeling soft-contact, and soft robotics.
- Integration of multi-modal sensing into planning and control and in development of sensor fusion methods.
- Mobile and/or legged locomotion in constrained environments.
Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.
TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.