Senior Research Fellow in Tactile Sensing for Robotics

The UCL Department of Computer Science (CS) is a top-ranked Computer Science Department in the UK. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) evaluation, UCL Computer Science was ranked 2nd in the UK for research power and 1st in England.

The post-holder will join the CRISP research group (Cognitive Robotics and Intelligent Systems for the People, https://lorejam.wixsite.com/crisp), part of the UCL Department of Computer Science (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/computer-science/) and the UCL Robotics Institute (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/robotics/).

The work will be carried out at the brand new UCL East campus in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in the context of the UCL Robotics Institute, a cross-faculty initiative providing a world-class teaching and research platform in robotics and autonomous systems.

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated researcher to join the CRISP Team, part of the UCL Department of Computer Science and the UCL Robotics Institute, to work on a research project funded by the UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) about developing a novel tactile sensitive electronic skin for dexterous robots. The post-holder will respond to the Head of CRISP, who is the Principal Investigator on this project, and will be expected to work collaboratively on both theoretical and applied aspects of tactile sensing and robotics, focusing mostly on hardware (electronics and soft materials) development and testing.

The post is funded until 31st May 2026

Candidates are required to have a PhD in electronic or mechanical engineering, or related disciplines, with a strong focus on robotics and sensing. Knowledge of electronic circuits, embedded systems, data communication protocols, sensor characterisation, signal processing and data analysis is also required. Previous experience with tactile sensors and soft materials is highly desirable. Knowledge of machine learning techniques and simulation of deformable materials is a plus. To be successful in this role, excellent time management and team working skills will be also needed.

Further Details

As part of the “Statement in support of your application”, which should be a pdf document, you should include the following: a 2-pages CV, a 1-page Personal Statement, and a copy of your best publication as a first author (within the same pdf document, at the beginning of the “Statement in support of your application”).

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

41 Days holiday: 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days (pro rata for part time staff)

Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme (pro rata for part time staff)

Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan

Relocation scheme for certain posts

On-Site nursery

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. 

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Gold award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.

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