Research Assistant / Associate in Cognitive Robotics

The Open University; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The Open University is seeking a Research Assistant or Associate in Cognitive Robotics to develop novel technological solutions for enhancing organizational resilience. This role involves working on cognitive robots that can identify anomalies in hospital settings, requiring a PhD in robotics and expertise in methods like object recognition and machine learning. Candidates will collaborate with project partners and publish results in recognized forums.

Qualifications

• PhD in robotics or related field is essential.
• Experience with object recognition, sensemaking, and AI solutions expected.
• Excellent communication skills for drafting technical reports.

Responsibilities

• Familiarize with advancements in object recognition and robotics.
• Develop cognitive robot solutions for hospital environments.
• Publish findings in high-quality journals and conferences.

Skills

Robotics

Object Recognition

Machine Learning

Communication

Education

PhD or equivalent experience in robotics

Tools

ROS (Robot Operating System)

Job description

Research Assistant / Associate in Cognitive Robotics

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Research Assistant / Associate in Cognitive Robotics

Advert Reference Number: 838

Job Location: Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid

Department: Knowledge Media Institute

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Fixed Term Contract: End Date: 31 October 2027 (24 months in total)

About the Role

The Research Assistant / Associate role is funded by an Innovate UK grant in the context of the ITEA 4 2023 programme. The overall aim of this project is to improve organizational resilience through the development of novel technological solutions that strengthen the ability of an organization to adapt to changing conditions. In particular, this post has a focus on developing a new generation of cognitive robots, which are able to make sense of the environment in which they operate and identify anomalies, e.g., health and safety violations in hospital settings.

About the Unit

KMi

The Knowledge Media Institute (KMi) is a multidisciplinary corporate R&D lab for The Open University, committed to world class research at the forefront of AI and new media technology. The research conducted in the context of these projects covers a diverse set of analysis for online communities, personal need and event detection, and monitoring and predicting behaviour based on large data sets.

The Knowledge Media Institute (KMi) was set up in 1995 in recognition of the need for The Open University (OU) to be at the forefront of research and development in a convergence of areas that impacted on the OU’s very nature: Cognitive and Learning Sciences, Knowledge Technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Multimedia, and Human-Computer Interaction. Over the past 30 years, KMi has established itself as a major player on the world stage of research in AI and new media technologies, acquiring over £50M in external funding. A key aspect of KMi research is its focus on concrete user audiences and, indeed, throughout its existence, KMi has deployed research solutions that have led to significant innovations in both academic and commercial settings.

STEM

The Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) comprises:

• School of Computing & Communications
• School of Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences
• School of Engineering & Innovation
• School of Life, Health & Chemical Sciences
• School of Mathematics & Statistics
• School of Physical Sciences
• Knowledge Media Institute

The STEM Faculty consists of 2500 staff including 1,800 Associate Lecturers. It delivers over 185 modules across undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum, supporting nearly 19,000 students (full time equivalents) which is 29% of the OU total.

The Faculty generates more research income (circa £17M) than any other Faculty in the University, supported by a comprehensive laboratory infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• To become familiar with the state of the art in object recognition and sensemaking in robotics.
• To develop novel sensemaking solutions for cognitive robots, which can perform effectively in the hospital settings relevant to the project.
• To perform rigorous task-centric evaluations of the developed solutions.
• To publish project results in high quality journals and conferences
• To collaborate effectively with our project partners.

Skills and Experience

• PhD or equivalent experience in robotics.
• Experience with ROS (Robot Operating System).
• Experience in using state of the art methods for object recognition and sensemaking in robotics.
• Experience with Machine Learning and Large Language Models.
• Experience in the evaluation of AI solutions.
• Able to draft technical reports and journal papers
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

To apply for this role please submit the following;

• CV that includes details of academic qualifications, teaching and research experience, grants received and publications.
• Supporting Statement that outlines how you meet the essential criteria listed above.

You will need to have your CV and Supporting Statement ready ahead of submitting the electronic application.

Next Steps

Interview date: Likely to be W/C 14th July via MS Teams.

Candidates will be notified as soon as possible after the closing date whether they have been shortlisted for interview.

Work location

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that attendance on our Milton Keynes campus will be required when necessary and in response to business needs, for example for laboratory-based research and/or supervision of research students or occasional team meetings. This is likely to be 2-3 days per week.

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what may work for you and the role.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Contract

Job function

• Job function

  Research and Science

• Industries

  Higher Education

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