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Fully-funded PhD studentship on social robots, consciousness and value-aware AI
We are still looking for one PhD student to join our team! The AIRO group (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, airo.ugent.be) of IDLab-imec (idlab.technology) at Ghent University are excited to offer a fully-funded PhD studentship to help with our research on social robotics under the supervision of Tony Belpaeme.
Research
Social robots are robots that interact with people in a natural manner by, for example, using speech, gestures, facial expressions and language. By using natural communication, these robots are easier to interact with and have many applications in entertainment, services, education, collaborative robotics and therapy [1].
You will join an international project called VALAWAI (short for Value-Aware AI) studying consciousness, values and AI. “Value-aware AI” is AI that includes a component performing the same function as human moral consciousness: a system that helps decide whether or not certain actions are morally acceptable. This system will be based on the Global Neuronal Workspace model developed on the basis of neurophysiological evidence and psychological data [2]. At Ghent University we will look at how social robots can become value-aware and how people respond to social robots that have some level of consciousness.
You will be supervised by Prof Tony Belpaeme (www.tonybelpaeme.me) and will be part of a vibrant and interdisciplinary research team, focusing on human-robot interaction, unconventional robotics, cognitive systems and machine learning. You will have access to the full facilities of IDLab, including high-performance computing/GPU clusters and the robot labs.
About us
Ghent University is an international top 100 university in Belgium situated in the historical and trendy city of Ghent. With 41,000 students and 9,000 staff, the university is one of the largest universities in the wide region. Ghent University’s mission is to combine high-quality education with internationally leading research and a pluralistic social responsibility. You will join the AIRO group, a group of 25 PhD students exploring the edges of AI and robotics, supervised by Tony Belpaeme, Francis wyffels and Joni Dambre.
Profile of the candidate
- An MSc in computer science, electrical engineering, (technical) cognitive science, Human-Computer Interaction, psychology or areas relevant to the research topic (for example, computational linguistics with a keen interest in robotics and AI).
- Good programming skills are required (C++, Python, or other) as you will programming robots and equipment and will be running data analyses.
- Very good English language skills (spoken as well as written).
- As the PhD position is highly interdisciplinary, an interest or understanding in (neuro)psychology and social sciences and other themes related to consciousness is desirable.
Further details
The position start date can be negotiated, but is tentatively set for 1/10/2022 and runs until 30/9/2026 (you will start with a one-year scholarship which can be extended to 4 years).
The net amount of the scholarship will be approximately €2250 per month. You will also receive a holiday allowance, an end-of-year bonus and –if you cycle, the preferred way of getting around in Ghent- a bicycle bonus. Additional financial support is available for attending conferences and workshops.
You will be affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group of the IDLab. While the research will be based in Ghent, occasional travel to international conferences will be required.
You will be enrolled in the doctoral training programme offered by the Doctoral School of Engineering.
Ghent University and AIRO lab encourages equal opportunities. We will consider applications based only on your potential as an early career researcher and your fit to the research programme.
How to apply
For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be).
Your application should include
- A letter motivating your application. Why do you wish to pursue a PhD in this area? How does your expertise match the research? What is your -if any- prior experience?
- A full curriculum vitae. If appropriate, copies of relevant exams, grades, MSc thesis or publications.
- The names and contact details of at least 2 referees. Recommendation letters can be included with your application, but are not needed at the time of application.
Applicants should send their application to tony.belpaeme@ugent.be with subject “PhD application VALAWAI”. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis and will be accepted as long as no candidate has been appointed. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview, which can be online if necessary.
Additional reading
[1] Introduction to HRI at https://www.human-robot-interaction.org/
[2] Dehaene, S., Changeux, J. P., & Naccache, L. (2011). The global neuronal workspace model of conscious access: from neuronal architectures to clinical applications. Characterizing consciousness: From cognition to the clinic?, 55-84.
Two fully-funded PhD studentships on social robots, consciousness and value-aware AI
The AIRO group (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, airo.ugent.be) of IDLab-imec (idlab.technology) at Ghent University are excited to be offering two fully-funded PhD studentships to help with our research on social robotics under the supervision of Tony Belpaeme.
Research
Social robots are robots that interact with people in a natural manner by, for example, using speech, gestures, facial expressions and language. By using natural communication, these robots are easier to interact with and have many applications in entertainment, services, education, collaborative robotics and therapy [1].
You will join an international project called VALAWAI (short for Value-Aware AI) studying consciousness, values and AI. “Value-aware AI” is AI that includes a component performing the same function as human moral consciousness: a system that helps decide whether or not certain actions are morally acceptable. This system will be based on the Global Neuronal Workspace model developed on the basis of neurophysiological evidence and psychological data [2]. At Ghent University we will look at how social robots can become value-aware and how people respond to social robots that have have some level of consciousness.
You will be supervised by Prof Tony Belpaeme (www.tonybelpaeme.me) and will be part of a vibrant and interdisciplinary research team, focusing on human-robot interaction, unconventional robotics, cognitive systems and machine learning. You will have access to the full facilities of IDLab, including high-performance computing/GPU clusters and the robot labs.
About us
Ghent University is an international top 100 university in Belgium situated in the historical and trendy city of Ghent. With 41,000 students and 9,000 staff, the university is one of the largest universities in the wide region. Ghent University’s mission is to combine high-quality education with internationally leading research and a pluralistic social responsibility. You will join the AIRO group, a group of 25 PhD students exploring the edges of AI and robotics, supervised by Tony Belpaeme, Francis wyffels and Joni Dambre.
Profile of the candidate
- A MSc in computer science, electrical engineering, (technical) cognitive science, Human-Computer Interaction, psychology or areas relevant to the research topic (for example, computational linguistics with a keen interest in robotics and AI).
- Good programming skills are required (C++, Python, or other) as you will programming robots and equipment and will be running data analyses.
- Very good English language skills (spoken as well as written).
- As the PhD position is highly interdisciplinary, an interest or understanding in (neuro)psychology and social sciences and other themes related to consciousness is desirable.
Further details
The position start date can be negotiated, but is tentatively set for 1/10/2022 and runs until 30/9/2026 (you will start with a one-year scholarship which can be extended to 4 years).
The net amount of the scholarship will be approximately €2250 per month. You will also receive a holiday allowance, an end-of-year bonus and –if you cycle, the preferred way of getting around in Ghent- a bicycle bonus. Additional financial support is available for attending conferences and workshops.
You will be affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group of the IDLab. While the research will be based in Ghent, occasional travel to international conferences will be required.
You will be enrolled in the doctoral training programme offered by the Doctoral School of Engineering.
Ghent University and AIRO lab encourages equal opportunities. We will consider applications based only on your potential as an early career researcher and your fit to the research programme.
How to apply
For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be).
Your application should include
- A letter motivating your application. Why do you wish to pursue a PhD in this area? How does your expertise match the research? What is your -if any- prior experience?
- A full curriculum vitae. If appropriate, copies of relevant exams, grades, MSc thesis or publications.
- The names and contact details of at least 2 referees. Recommendation letters can be included with your application, but are not needed at the time of application.
Applicants should send their application to tony.belpaeme@ugent.be with subject “PhD application VALAWAI”. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis, the application deadline however is 31 August 2022. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview, which can be online if necessary.
Additional reading
[1] Introduction to HRI at https://www.human-robot-interaction.org/
[2] Dehaene, S., Changeux, J. P., & Naccache, L. (2011). The global neuronal workspace model of conscious access: from neuronal architectures to clinical applications. Characterizing consciousness: From cognition to the clinic?, 55-84.
HRI2022 meet-up
HRI2022 meet-up, Barcelona, Spain, 9-10 March 2022
As the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction 2022, or HRI2022 for short, was forced to move from an in-person conference in Sapporo, Japan to a virtual only conference, there is an opportunity to still meet in Barcelona at the HRI2022 meet-up.
The HRI2022 meet-up is a satellite event of HRI2022, organised on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 March 2022. The event will offer a number of experiences:
- Watch a selection of keynotes and presentations.
- Meet and network with colleagues from across the region.
- Dive in and out of live sessions at the HRI2022 conference.
- Join global networking events related to HRI2022.
- Discuss research in an informal atmosphere and enjoy offline time with fellow researchers.
More details on can be found at http://www.hrimeetup.eu/ where you can also register.
Thanks to PAL Robotics and EURECAT sponsorships, attendance is free for the participants. Participants however still need to be registered to the main conference.
Note that all COVID-19 measures will be observed and the event is subject to the regulations and recommendations by the local and Spanish government at the time of the event, and the travel restrictions imposed by Spain and participants’ region of departure.
Organisers:
Séverin Lemaignan (PAL Robotics, Spain) and Tony Belpaeme (Universiteit Gent, Belgium)
New PhD studentship filled
News! This position is no longer available: we’re happy to have Maria Pinto Bernal fill this position.
The AIRO group (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, airo.ugent.be) of IDLab-imec (idlab.technology ) at Ghent University are offering a fully-funded PhD studentship to help with our research on social robotics.
Social robots are robots that interact with people in a natural manner by, for example, using speech, gestures, facial expressions and language. By using natural communication, these robots are easier to interact with and have many applications in entertainment, services, education, collaborative robotics and therapy [1].
However, these robots are only able to interact with us for a limited amount of time before we lose interest. Your research aims to change that. Your project will study what elements are needed for a social robot to become an engaging and relevant social partner. You will explore approaches to drawing people into a human-robot interaction, starting from first principles on what makes interaction long-term between people, and between people and other living creatures. Next, you will implement a number of studies to validate our theories and identify application domains where social robots can make a difference (such as education, support or customer service). You will very much use an explorative approach, using curiosity-led research to arrive at scientifically, societally and technically relevant results.
Your research has the potential to go in two directions, either it will have a predominantly technical focus in which machine learning of long-term Human-Robot Interaction is explored, or it will focus on the social mechanisms underlying interaction with robots. Which way the research goes entirely depends on your profile and interests.
You will be supervised by Prof Tony Belpaeme (www.tonybelpaeme.me) and will be part of a vibrant and interdisciplinary research team, focusing on human-robot interaction, unconventional robotics, cognitive systems and machine learning. You will have access to the full facilities of IDLab, including high-performance computing/GPU clusters and the HomeLab living lab.
Location
Ghent University (www.ugent.be/en) is an international top 100 university in Belgium situated in the historical and trendy city of Ghent. With 41,000 students and 9,000 staff, the university is one of the largest universities in the wide region. Ghent University’s mission is to combine high-quality education with internationally leading research and a pluralistic social responsibility. You will join the AIRO group which is part of IDLab, a research lab consisting of more than 300 researchers developing tomorrow’s tech.
Profile of the candidate
You must have an MSc background in computer science, electrical engineering, (technical) cognitive science, Human-Computer Interaction psychology or areas relevant to the research topic (for example, sociology with a keen interest in robotics and AI). Good programming skills are required (C++, Python, or other) as you will programming robots and equipment and will be running data analyses. English will be the primary language used (spoken as well as written). The PhD position is highly interdisciplinary and requires an understanding and/or interest in psychology and social sciences.
Further details:
- The position start date can be negotiated, but is tentatively set at 1/10/2021.
- The net amount of the scholarship will be approximately €2000 per month. You will also receive a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and will enjoy full social security cover. Additional financial support is available for attending conferences and workshops.
- You will be affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group of the IDLab. While the research will be based in Ghent, occasional travel to international conferences will be required.
- You will be enrolled in the doctoral training programme offered by the Doctoral School of Engineering.
- Ghent University and AIRO lab encourages equal opportunities. We will consider applications based only on your potential as an early career researcher and your fit to the research programme.
How to apply
For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be).
Your application should include
- A letter motivating your application. Why do you wish to pursue a PhD in social robotics? How does your expertise match the research? What is your -if any- prior experience?
- A full curriculum vitae. If appropriate, copies of relevant exams, grades, MSc thesis or publications.
- The names and contact details of at least 2 referees. Recommendation letters can be included with your application, but are not needed at the time of application.
Applicants should send their application to tony.belpaeme@ugent.be with subject “PhD application Sep 2021”. The application deadline is 30 September 2021. Selected candidates will be invited for an online interview.
Additional reading
Introduction to HRI at https://www.human-robot-interaction.org/
German, Chinese and Korean editions of Human-Robot Interaction book
Our text book on Human-Robot Interaction, published by Cambridge University Press, is now available in German as well. The Carl Hanser Verlag publishes the book as “Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion – Eine Einführung“.
A Chinese edition is in preparation by the China Machine Press-HuaZhang Company for 2021, and a Korean edition is being negotiated for publication in 2022.
PhD studentship on social robotics
This post has been filled. However, we do have a new advert with a 30 September 2021 deadline.
The AIRO group (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, airo.ugent.be) of IDLab-imec (idlab.technology ) at Ghent University are offering a PhD studentship to help with our research on social robotics and machine learning.
Social robots are robots which interact with people in a natural manner by, for example, using speech, gestures, facial expressions and language. As social robots use natural communication, they are easier to interact with and this has many applications in entertainment, services, education, collaborative robotics and therapy.
Now however, these robots are only able to interact with us for a limited amount of time before we lose interest. Our research aims to change that. The project will study what technical elements are needed for a social robot to become an engaging and relevant social partner? We will explore approaches to drawing people into a human-robot interaction, starting from first principles on what makes interaction long term between people. Next, we will implement a number of studies to validate our theories and identify application domains where social robots can make a difference (such as education, support or customer service). We will very much use an explorative approach, using curiosity-led research to arrive at scientifically, societally and technically relevant results.
You will be supervised by Prof Tony Belpaeme (www.tonybelpaeme.me). You will be part of a vibrant and interdisciplinary research team, focusing on human-robot interaction, unconventional robotics, cognitive systems and machine learning. You will have access to the full facilities of IDLab, including high performance computing/GPU clusters and the HomeLab living lab.
Location
Ghent University (www.ugent.be) is a international top 100 university in Belgium situated in the historical and trendy city of Ghent. With 41,000 students and 9,000 staff, the university is one of the largest universities in the wide region. Ghent University’s mission is to combine high-quality education with internationally leading research and a pluralistic social responsibility. You will join the AIRO group which is part of IDLab, a research lab consisting of more than 300 researchers developing tomorrow’s tech.
Profile of the candidate
You must have an MSc degree in computer science, electrical engineering, technical cognitive science or areas relevant to the research topic (for example, psychology with a keen interest in robotics and AI). Good programming skills are required (C++, Python, or other), training or experience in machine learning or robotics is essential. English will be the primary language used (spoken as well as written). The PhD position is highly interdisciplinary and requires an understanding and/or interest in psychology and social sciences.
Further details:
- The position start date can be negotiated, but is at the latest 1/9/2021.
- The net amount of the scholarship will be approximately €2000 per month. You will also receive a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and will enjoy full social security cover. Additional financial support is available for attending conferences and workshops.
- You will be affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group of the IDLab. While the research will be based in Ghent, occasional travel to international conferences will be required.
- You will be enrolled in the doctoral training programme offered by the Doctoral School of Engineering.
- Ghent University and AIRO lab encourages equal opportunities. We will consider applications based only on your potential as an early career researcher and your fit to the research programme.
How to apply
For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be).
Your application should include
- A letter motivating your application. Why do you wish to pursue a PhD? Why in social robotics? What is your -if any- prior experience?
- A CV, with copies of relevant exams, grades, master thesis work or publications.
- The names and contact details of at least 2 referees. Recommendation letters can be included with your application, but are not needed at the time of application.
Applicants should send their application to tony.belpaeme@ugent.be with subject “PhD application”. The application deadline is 15 May 2021. Selected candidates will be invited for an online interview.
Summer job on social engineering in robots
[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW]
Voor het geval nog iemand op zoek is naar een ietwat bijzondere vakantiebezigheid:
We zoeken iemand die ons kan helpen met een experiment rond “social engineering” met robots, dit in het kader van een studie rond het hacken van robots en de mogelijke negatieve gevolgen. Je specifieke taak bestaat uit het implementeren van het experiment op de robot. Hiervoor gebruiken we een Pepper-robot (van Softbank Robotics) die geprogrammeerd wordt in Python en/of Choregraphe (een visuele programmeertaal, gericht op mensen die weinig van programmeren afweten) die via de NaoQi API interfacet met de robot.
We zoeken iemand met een achtergrond in computerwetenschappen, informatica of elektronica, ervaring met Python wordt op prijs gesteld. Je hoeft niet student te zijn aan de UGent, maar het mag wel.
We willen je graag aan de slag in augustus 2019, maar de werkuren zijn flexibel. De werkplek zal voornamelijk het Artificial Intelligence en Robotics lab zijn van IDLab (8ste verdieping van het iGent-gebouw op het Technologiepark, aka Campus Ardoyen), maar je kan eventueel ook op afstand werken, en we willen je er ook graag bij als we een experiment op locatie doen.
Betaling is tegen standaardtarief voor jobstudenten aan de UGent (€ 14,99 per uur), hierbij komen nog vergoedingen voor verplaatsingen.
Ben je geïnteresseerd of wil je meer weten, neem dan contact op met Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be)
We are looking for a summer placement student to help program social robots. We are setting up a study in “social hacking” using robots and need help programming the robot and running studies. You will be tasked with programming a Pepper robot using Python or Choregraphe, and NaoQi.
We are looking for someone with a CS or electronics profile, who can be available in August 2019. You will mainly work at the AI and Robotics lab of IDLab at the University of Gent (located at the Technologiepark), but can also work from home and will be expected to support field trials.
Remuneration is based on standard tariffs of Ghent University (14.99€/h), excluding travel reimbursement.
For more information or to apply, please contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be).
Book on Human-Robot Interaction (Cambridge University Press)
Over a year ago I got the strangest and most delightful invitation from Christoph Bartneck to pop over to New Zealand for a week to write a book on Human-Robot Interaction. He might as well have asked me to hop up mount Everest on a pogostick – who in his right mind believes a book can be written in a week, but I could use some distraction, so together with Selma Šabanović, Takayuki Kanda and Friederike Eyssel we met up with Christoph and Merel Keijsers in Christchurch. From there we had a road trip to a field station on the west coast of South Island, where we set up camp for five days. Under the cracking whip of a book sprint coach (and much to my surprise) we managed to write a sprawling first draft of an introductory book on Human-Robot Interaction. Cambridge University Press was keen on our draft and over the last year we painstakingly revised it, checking our claims, finding key references, sourcing illustrations and making the book a coherent introduction to the meandering field that is Human-Robot Interaction.
Cambridge University Press is dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s as I write this, and we’re looking forward to receiving the first print of the book. In the meantime we have a website www.human-robot-interaction.org where we’ll collect online material which paper doesn’t do justice, such as a timeline of social robots.
Symposium on Robots for Language Learning
Symposium on Robots for Language Learning
12-13 December 2018
Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
In recent years social robots have shown great promise as tutors and teaching aids. Education has come under pressure to deliver a more personalised, one-to-one experience., but this has been difficult given the increased classroom diversity and budgetary pressures. Robots might provide a way forward, especially for topics where one-to-one tutoring can have large returns, such as language learning and second language learning.
This symposium aims to bring together people interested in how robots can support education. We welcome views from educational and developmental psychology, pedagogy, artificial intelligence and robotics.
The symposium is also the closing event of the L2TOR project, which studies how social robots can teach young children a second language.
More information at https://sites.google.com/view/l2torsymposium/home
PhD position in social robotics and machine learning
This position is now filled. Welcome Pieter Wolfert.
The AIRO group (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics) of the IDLab at Ghent University is looking for a PhD student to help with our research on social robotics and machine learning.
Social robots are robots which interact with people in a natural manner by using speech, gestures, and facial expressions for example. As social robots use natural communication, they are easy to interact with and this knows many applications in entertainment, services, education, collaborative robotics and therapy.
Now however, these robots are programmed by hand, as automatically generating verbal and nonverbal behaviour is still largely impossible. Our research aims to change that. The project will study how a robot can use generative deep learning to observe video recordings of people interacting with each other, and learn which behaviours are appropriate under which circumstances. The goal is to have the robot learn to produce verbal and non-verbal behaviour at a level where people think the robot is a worthy conversation partner.
You will be supervised by Prof Tony Belpaeme (www.tonybelpaeme.me) together with Prof Francis wyffels and Prof Joni Dambre. You will be part of a new, vibrant and interdisciplinary research team, focusing on unconventional robotics, cognitive systems and machine learning.
Ghent University (www.ugent.be) is a top 100 university in Belgium situated in the historical and trendy city of Ghent. With 41,000 students and 9,000 staff, the university is one of the largest universities in the wide region. Ghent University’s mission is to combine high-quality education with internationally leading research and a pluralistic social responsibility. You will join the AIRO group which is part of IDLab, a research lab consisting of more than 300 researchers developing today the tech of tomorrow.
Profile of the candidate
You must have an MSc degree in computer science, electrical engineering, technical cognitive science or areas relevant to the research topic. Good programming skills are required (C++, Python, or other), as is training in machine learning. English will be the primary language used (spoken as well as written). The PhD position is highly interdisciplinary and requires an understanding and/or interest in psychology and social sciences.
Further details:
- The position starts on 1 October 2018 and runs for 4 years.
- The net amount of the scholarship will be approximately €1900 per month, increasing to €2100 per month in the fourth year. You will also receive a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and will enjoy full social security cover. Additional financial support is available for attending conference and workshop.
- You will be affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group of the IDLab. While the research will be based in Ghent, occasional travel to international conferences will be required.
- You will be enrolled in the doctoral training programme offered by the Doctoral School of Engineering.
- Ghent University encourages equal opportunities and will consider applications only based on your potential as an early career researcher.
How to apply
For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Tony Belpaeme (tony.belpaeme@ugent.be). Your application should include
- a letter motivating your application.
- a CV, copies of relevant exams, grades, master thesis work or publications.
- the names and contact details of at least 2 referees. Recommendation letter can be included with your application, but do not need to be at time of application.
Applicants should send their application to tony.belpaeme@ugent.be. The application deadline is 31 May 2018. Selected candidates will be invited for interview, which can be organised over Skype if necessary.
Tony Belpaeme 