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Organisation/Company IMT Atlantique Research Field Engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 10 Nov 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101126644 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

The PhD position is offered under a standard track (30 months at IMT Atlantique + 3 months at Communication University of China + 3 months at non-yet determined industrial partner (possibly)

1.1. Domain and scientific/technical context

The field is the one of Vision in Virtual Reality (VR). It is an essential field for progress in the creation of immersive and comfortable environments. The associated issues concern not only the improvement of technical aspects, but also the consideration of the impact on the health and comfort of users.

Motion sickness, driven by discrepancies between visual stimuli and user perception, remains a significant obstacle in VR, causing nausea and discomfort. Among the primary triggers, content motion in stereoscopic 3D environments is particularly critical. The contents’ motion can stimulate both motor & sensory mechanism (e.g. eye movement and attention). By investigating deeper on visual attention in VR, we can make proper eye tracking technique to predict the eye movement and propose adaptive adjustment control methods to mitigate motion sickness in VR content, improve the visual comfort in virtual space, and meet the needs of health control in VR.

1.2. Scientific/technical challenges

Virtual Reality (VR) offers tremendous potential across various fields, with particularly impactful applications in education and rehabilitation. The main problem, especially in terms of rendering, immersion and comfort, lies in the fact that our natural vision is stereoscopic, i.e. in 3D, and that this three-dimensional perception is imperfectly reproduced in virtual reality (VR), particularly during movements. This mismatch between natural vision and visual simulation in VR causes a mismatch between convergence and visual accommodation, which can cause eye fatigue and cybersickness. In this context, eye tracking could be a solution, but current devices do not yet offer sufficient speed and precision.

The aim of the project is

• To better understand how attention is projected in 3D
• To better predict and mitigate motion sickness
• To improve the use of eye tracking in VR

1.3. Considered methods, targeted results and impacts

The distribution of attention in 3D will be studied using the Feature Distribution Learning paradigm [Chetverikov 2016]. The first measurements will be based on the experiments already conducted in the optics department [Marshev 2021]. The psychoperceptive tools developed will also make it possible to evaluate the cost of endogenous/exogenous attention shifts. Finally, all of these results could be instantiated in more applicative and ecological experiments by colleagues from the INUIT team.

We will then use this information with other features of human visual perception as well as eye tracking measures to better understand, predict and mitigate motion sickness problems. This will build on the work of Di Zhang et al. in particular the analysis of motion parameters via the use of recurrent neural networks.

The results sought are both fundamental and applied (improving our understanding of the visual system, improving user comfort across a wide range of VR environment).

1.4. Environment (partners, places, specific tools and hardware)

IMT Atlantique is one of the top French “grande école” and an international research centre in the fields of engineering and digital technology. The campus is located by the Atlantic ocean and considered as one of the most beautiful in Europe. It offers a wealth of extracurricular activities in a multicultural environment.

The Communication University of China (CUC) is a top institution renowned for its strengths in media, communication, and related fields. With advanced research centers, global partnerships, and cutting-edge facilities, CUC excels in media studies, journalism, and digital media technologies. It offers students opportunities for hands-on experience through internships and global exchange, preparing them for success in the evolving media landscape. CUC’s international reputation and strong industry ties make it a leader in both academic and professional media fields.

1.5. Interdisciplinarity aspects

The subject is very interdisciplinary since it covers both the display device, the content displayed, the way in which we perceive this content and the measures taken to understand this perception. It is therefore strongly anchored in the fields of computer graphics and displays but also touches the fields of psychology and visual perception (for example, how to “see” and project attention in VR) and optics (eye tracking).

1.6. Pre-required skills and abilities

• Programming experience (Unity, MATLAB, Python, R)
• Familiarity with virtual reality (VR) and / or augmented reality (AR) environments
• Knowledge and ability to independently implement statistical analyses
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

The PhD student will stay 30 months at Prof. Nourrit's lab.

International academic partner: Prof. Di Zhang, Communication University of China

The PhD student will stay three months at Prof. Zhang's lab.

• Industrial partner: The student will stay 3 months at one of Prof. Nourrit’s industrial partners.

2.2. Hosting organizations

IMT Atlantique , internationally recognized for the quality of its research, is a leading French technological university under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Digital Technology. IMT Atlantique maintains privileged relationships with major national and international industrial partners, as well as with a dense network of SMEs, start-ups, and innovation networks. With 290 permanent staff, 2,200 students, including 300 doctoral students, IMT Atlantique produces 1,000 publications each year and raises 18€ million in research funds.

• Programming experience (Unity, MATLAB, Python, R)
• Familiarity with virtual reality (VR) and / or augmented reality (AR) environments
• Knowledge and ability to independently implement statistical analyses
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

Research Field Engineering

APhD programme of high quality training : 4 reasons to apply

• SEED is a programme of excellence that is aware of its responsibilities: to provide a programme of high quality training to develop conscientious researchers, including training in responsible research and ethics.
• SEED’s unique approach of providing interdisciplinary, international and cross-sector experience is tailored to work in a career-focused manner to enhance employability and market integration.
• SEED offers a competitive funding scheme, aiming for an average monthly salary of EUR 2,000 net per ESR, topped by additional mobility allowances as well as optional family allowances.
• SEED is a forward-looking programme that actively engages with current issues and challenges, providing research opportunities addressing industrial and academic relevant themes.

Eligibility criteria. In accordance with MSCA rules, SEED will open to applicants without any conditions of nationality nor age criteria. SEED applies the MSCA mobility standards and necessary background. Eligible candidates must fulfil the following criteria

• Mobility rule: Candidates must show transnational mobility by having not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the deadline of the co-funded program's call (November 10th, 2024 for Call#2). Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
• Early-stage researchers (ESR): Candidates must have a master’s degree or an equivalent diploma at the time of their enrolment and must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research career. Moreover, they must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.
  
  Extensions may be granted (under certain conditions) for maternity leave, paternity leave, as well as long-term illness or national service.