We Apologise for multiple cross postings ========================================================================= Post-Doctoral Research Associate vacancy Three-year fixed-term Robotics Research Group, Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK £32,277 – £37,384 Applicants are invited to join the Robotics Laboratory for a new project (entitled Developmental Algorithms for Robotics”). The project is focusing on developmental robotic learning based on an iCub humanoid robot. This is a three year EPSRC funded project running at Aberystwyth University, with the support of an International Scientific Advisory Board containing leading developmental psychologists. We wish to appoint two Post-Doctoral Research Associates who will develop and implement models based on the psychological literature, and conduct experiments on our iCub humanoid robot. One successful applicant will be responsible for understanding psychological literature and generating models based on the literature, whilst the other successful applicant will be responsible for software implementation and experimentation. This invitation is for the Scientific Modelling post, details below. For informal enquiries contact Patricia Shaw: phs@aber.ac.uk +44 (0)1970-622432 Ref: IMPACS.14.22 Closing Date: 5 February 2015 Interview Date: Week commencing 16 February 2015 For information and application forms please go to www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/jobs/vacancies-external/ ========================================================================= The Project: “Developmental Algorithms for Robotics” The project aims to investigate a mechanism for robots, building on top of basic spatial sensorimotor competencies, that drives the autonomous development of new behaviours and self learning about novel events for which they have no prior experience. This will involve (1) expanding existing motor-babbling activity into object play behaviour, (2) formulating play behaviour as a viable mechanism for autonomous learning about unknown environments, (3) establishing an extended schema concept as a mechanism for integrating memory, experience generalization and action generation, (4) exploring action perception from the agent's experience, and (5) close monitoring of the work with psychological data and expert psychologists. The project will closely follow current knowledge on infant development and aim to reproduce behaviour as reported in the psychological literature. In particular the focus will be on three areas of core knowledge: (1) Object understanding, (2) Interaction with animate objects, and (3) Tool use. The work will be supported by collaboration with leading developmental psychologists on the project scientific advisory panel. This will produce models and mechanisms that can be implemented and tested experimentally against psychological benchmarks. The models will be validated with challenging demonstrators based on a single humanoid robotic platform (iCub). As a main outcome, the project will advance the understanding and application of intrinsic motivations in autonomous learning systems and robots. This overall goal will be achieved with the support of an International Scientific Advisory Board, consists of: Kevin O'Regan, Jacqueline Fagard, Merideth Gattis, David Whitebread, Giorgio Metta, QinetiQ and Lego. The Appointment (PDRA) – Scientific modeller Applications are invited for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Associate on this project at Aberystwyth University. The successful applicant will have a relevant background, experience of research (as demonstrated by PhD and/or publications), and proven abilities in mathematical/scientific modelling. The main tasks will involve analysing the psychological literature to develop models and experiments for testing on an iCub humanoid robot. This will be supported by another PDRA, and PhD student, who will have special responsibility for implementing the models whilst maintaining and supporting the robot. Other tasks include writing scientific documents and papers, documenting experiments and writing reports, supervising a PhD student, responsibility for day-to-day management of project needs, and collaborating with the scientific advisory panel and other researchers. Regular European travel will be involved. This post is available on a three-year fixed-term contract, funded by the EPSRC. Salary will be on the IA scale for Research Staff in the range: £32,277 - £37,384 (depending upon qualifications and experience). We expect to appoint for a start date in the first quarter of 2015.