[hackerspaces] Funded MS or PhD Openings in Haptic Technology at Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA)

[Yon Visell]

Hello Hackerspaces!

I hope the openings described below may be of interest to some of you.  I'd love to have individuals with strong interests in hands-on experimentation involved in our work.  (Apart from the positions described below, we plan to collaborate on open haptic hacking workshops in the Philadelphia area).  Another goal for our new lab is certainly to ensure openness, and especially the reproducability of our results by others.

Best,
Yon
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Yon Visell, PhD

Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique  |  UPMC Université Paris 06
http://cim.mcgill.ca/~yon  |  yonvisell at gmail.com

From January 2013:
Assistant Professor
Drexel University  |  Electrical and Computer Engineering  |  Philadelphia, USA
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Funded MS or PhD Openings in Haptic Technology at Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA)

Funding is available for highly motivated graduate students (MS or PhD) interested in haptics and interactive technologies, within the school of Engineering at Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA).  

The successful candidate will conduct research on haptics -- the science and engineering of touch and movement -- within a new laboratory devoted Haptics and Creative Technologies at Drexel.  In our lab, we study mechanisms underlying human touch sensation and design novel touch-feedback and multimodal interfaces.  Examples include wearable haptic displays, virtual reality touch surfaces, or tangible robotic interfaces for the hand.  The laboratory is affiliated with the new Expressive and Creative Interaction Technology Center (EXCITE) based at Drexel, http://drexel.edu/excite/

Candidates should be highly motivated and have a prior degree(s) in a relevant field (e.g., Engineering, Physics, Neuroscience, Acoustics, Interactive Technologies, etc).  Hands-on knowledge, experience or at least strong affinity for one or more areas of engineering and technology related to our activities (e.g., solid modeling, fab/rapid prototyping, robotics, mechatronics / sensing, material engineering, biomechanics) would be a further benefit, and project management skills would be a positive.

A number of possible research topics is available, including:

Theme 1) Touching the third-dimension: Artificial touch feedback for novel touch screen displays capable of rendering sensations such as shape and softness

Theme 2) Wearable haptics: Reproducing virtual touch and movement sensations via wearable haptic interfaces for the skin; novel approaches based on cross-modal perceptual synergies

Theme 3) Walking on virtual ground: Haptic feedback and interaction with computationally augmented floor surfaces

Theme 4) From seeing to feeling: Neuroscientific bases of active touch and vision and cross-modal interactions between them

Theme 5) Living touch: New electroactive materials for touch sensing and haptic actuation

Drexel University is a leading national research university in the vibrant urban setting of Philadelphia, USA, with strengths in areas including engineering, biomedicine, and multimedia.  Drexel is rapidly growing in stature, and is regarded as one of the top "up-and-coming" universities in the USA, ranking #3 nationally in this category (US News, 2012).

Interested applicants may send a CV, portfolio, and other pertinent materials, or inquiries, to: Yon Visell <yonvisell at gmail.com>.

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