Scientist (Robotic Systems Development), ARTC

A*STAR RESEARCH ENTITIES; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization in Singapore seeks a Research Scientist to join their Autonomous Systems & Robotics team. The role requires a PhD in AI or Computer Science, and expertise in robotics, optimization theory, and machine learning. You will participate in developing novel robotic systems tailored to industrial applications, engaging with stakeholders to define project needs and preparing technical documentation. This position offers an exciting opportunity to drive advancements in robotics and automation.

Qualifications

• 2 years experience in R&D projects in relevant areas.
• Strong experience in vision-guided robotics manipulation.
• Practical knowledge in applying Generative AI and Reinforcement Learning.

Responsibilities

• Research state-of-the-art algorithms and tools for robotics.
• Discuss with stakeholders to understand their needs.
• Prepare detailed technical documentation and presentations.

Skills

AI / Machine Learning

Robotics

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

PhD degree in AI / Computer Science

Tools

Python

C/C++

Simulink

Job description

ARTC is looking for a Scientist to join Autonomous Systems & Robotics (ASR) group as a leading expert on Robotics Systems Development to accelerate the translational research and development of novel intelligent and reconfigurable robotic systems that can be adopted by industrial end-users for practical applications.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Research Scientist, you will contribute towards the research and development of systems and solutions, as part of a larger team, to meet the needs of companies across multiple sectors of the manufacturing and logistics ecosystem in Singapore. You will work with senior engineers and scientists at A*STAR on different robotics and automation systems. If you are passionate about applying the best-in-class optimization algorithms, AI / ML techniques and knowledge representation models to develop intelligent robotics & automation systems or solutions, this is the role for you.

• Research on state of the art algorithms, technologies and tools, evaluate and compare pros and cons, and make recommendations; contribute to smart robotic and automation system development projects
• Discuss with stakeholders to clearly understand their needs, problem statements, constraints and expectations
• Propose new concepts, design and develop new algorithms and software modules in the area of autonomous manufacturing, human-centric intelligent automation systems, reconfigurable robotic systems etc.
• Work with team in validating using virtual models, simulations, physical prototypes and preparing demonstrators
• Review current roadmap, identify new research directions, generate proposals for new projects / grants
• Prepare detailed technical documentation of projects and make presentations to a diverse audience
• Prepare detailed scientific papers and documents on intellectual property (IP) / technology disclosure

JOB REQUIREMENT

• PhD degree in AI / Computer Science, or related Engineering disciplines (such as Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Engineering) with focus on optimization theory, robotics / autonomous systems, machine learning, cyber-physical systems etc.
• 2 years experience in R&D projects in their relevant area of expertise
• Strong experience in vision-guided robotics manipulation (industrial robot arms and/or cobots, with robust collision-avoidance methods) are preferred
• Strong basics in computing, data science, and AI applications related to robotic or autonomous physical systems or industry-relevant problems
• Programming skills (Python, C/C++ in developing data analysis, optimization and machine learning algorithms and applications
• Good track record of scientific publications in top journals or conferences, and/or patents
• Strong problem solving and analysis skills, technical documentation and presentation skills
• Experience in applying optimization theory for 3D bin packing problems will be a strong plus
• Relevant industry project experience (before or after PhD) in deploying or implementing automation systems to solve practical customer problems (such as in advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors) in actual usage environments will be a strong plus.
• Experience in systems-level modelling and simulation of robotic systems will be a plus (e.g., using Simulink)
• Practical knowledge in applying Generative AI, Reinforcement Learning etc. will be a plus
• Experience on robotics foundation models, Vision Language Models (VLM), Vision Language Action (VLA) models and LLMs for real-life industrial applications will be a plus

We value the following Soft skills as well:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, to interact with different stakeholders at a technical or functional level (with colleagues, management, customers)
• Self-motivated individual with a strong sense of ownership of the assigned tasks
• Good time management skills
• Willingness to learn and master new / unfamiliar tools and technologies
• Flexibility and willingness to work on new tasks, and the ability to adapt to changes

The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive. A*STAR may include additional selection criteria based on its prevailing recruitment policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.