[robocup-humanoid] 1 PhD and 1 Post-Doc Positions Available In Padova, ITALY

[Emanuele Menegatti]

The IAS-Lab (intelligent Autonomous System Laboratory) of the 
Dept. of Information Engineering of the Universita' di Padova is offering:

- 1 Ph.D. position (3 years)
- 1 Post-Doc position (2 years)

funded by the EU-FP7 Capacites Project "Efficient 3D Completeness Inspection" 
(Resp. prof. E. Menegatti).

Our Project
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"Efficient 3D Completeness Inspection":
One important application of machine vision is quality control and in particular checking the completeness (presence/absence of parts, correct type, position, orientation, ...) of assemblies.
Existing systems usually use standard monochrome or color cameras which produce a 2D  image. These images lack the information of depth and therefore it is difficult to
deal with non-rigid objects (hoses, cables) or low contrast between background and
parts. Finally, they do not provide, often, an optimal view on each single part of the assembly.
This project aims at developing efficient 3D completeness inspection methods that
exploit two different innovative technologies. The first one is based on calculating arbitrary views of an object given a small number of images of this object, the second one aims at
combining 3D shape data obtained with laser range scanners with color and texture information. Both technologies to be developed will cover the full chain from data acquisition via pre-processing to the final decision-making. The projects aims at developing a cost-effective technology, that will need standard computing hardware platforms.
3D Completeness inspection is a technological gap in the machine vision market. The project is a collaboration between 3 SMEs and 3 research centers.



Your Tasks
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You will join the Intelligent Robotics research group composed of 1 full professor, 1 associate professor, 1 assistant professor, 3 post-doc, and 3 Ph.D. students. 
The working environment is stimulating, young, informal, and with possibilities of international experiences. The  Intelligent Robotics research group has several links with European, Japanese, and American Universities. 
 
Your duties include research activities in the area 3D computer vision at the edge with industrial robotics. 
You will investigate 2.5D reconstructions of industrial objects by fusing data of laser range finders and of high-resolution color cameras. 

For the Ph.D. position, you will enroll in the University of Padua Ph.D. School according to Italian national regulation. You will attend 4-5 high-level Ph.D. courses with final examination taught in English by internationally renowned scientists.  

Your Qualification
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You should hold at least a master's degree in computer science or related
fields and experience in one or more of the following research areas:
artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, mobile robotics,
model-based programming, human-robot interaction. Programming skills and
fluency in English are also required.
 
Our Offer
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Starting from November 2010 or January 2011:
- 1 Ph.D. position (3 years)
- 1 Post-Doc position (2 years)

Salary and entrance into the Doctorate School will be according to Italian national regulations. Applications from foreign students and students from other Italian universities are especially encouraged.
University of Padova is one of the oldest University in the world. It is conveniently located close to Venice. It has a lively cultural life. 

Contact:
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Emanuele Menegatti, Ph.D.
Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory (IAS-Lab)
Department of Information Engineering
The University of Padua
via ognissanti 72
I-35129 Padova - ITALY

email: emg at dei.unipd.it
Skype: emanuele.menegatti
Phone: ++39 049 827 7840
FAX:  ++39 049 827 7826
http://www.dei.unipd.it/~emg

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