Senior Research Associate

This senior research associate post sits within a world-respected research team whose work has resulted in over ten million devices and an estimated fifty million users. Working closely with undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic staff, commercial partners and international collaborators, the successful candidate will be integral to developing and researching a variety of novel interactive device and physical computing technologies and artifacts accruing to the following research themes:

• Conceiving and evaluating new physical computing solutions to drive engagement, support learning and empower users to be creative with digital technology, building on the success of web-based code editors like Microsoft MakeCode, easy-to-use processor boards like the micro:bit, and the plug-and-play abstraction of Jacdac.
• Developing and evaluating interactive and embedded devices that address specific real-world problems by combining technologies for sensing, interaction, communications and power in new ways and with new form-factors.
• Developing new tools and techniques to address the difficulties of scaling device prototypes beyond a handful of prototypes, with a view to producing tens and hundreds of copies – which we call isotypes – for deeper technical assessment and/or user evaluation.

Key duties include conducting original research and development in the above-listed areas by designing, building and evaluating hardware, firmware and software for new devices and tools. Impact and engagement activities related to research outputs will also be important, including presentations, publishing papers, open-sourcing, commercialisation and/or public engagement. The tools, equipment, materials and consumables necessary for pursing this research will be made available as needed.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in computer science, electronic engineering or an equivalent qualification. They will be familiar with research problems and trends in device prototyping, development, and/or physical computing. Essential technical skills include electronics design, schematic entry, PCB layout (e.g. with Altium Designer or KiCad), and firmware development experience in C and/or C++. Familiarity with the following technologies would be beneficial: CODAL and/or Jacdac frameworks, analogue electronics and simulation (e.g. with Spice), web/graphic/industrial design tools, and front- and/or back-end web technologies (especially Web Serial, USB and/or Bluetooth).

Any evidence of the above-mentioned skills and experiences should be highlighted by candidates in their application materials, along with a CV detailing employment history and publications to-date.

The successful candidate will be working under the direct supervision of Prof Steve Hodges and Prof Joe Finney. The expected start date for this role is November 2024. Enquiries are welcome!

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