Postdoc in robot vision for architectural 3D printing applications

The Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering welcomes applications for a postdoctoral researcher position within a milestone research project “Twin Re-Fab: Digital Twins for Circular Architectural Renovation, Digital Fabrication and Robotic Construction”, carried out within the Digital Twin Cities Centre (DTCC), hosted by Chalmers University of Technology and co-funded by Sweden's Innovation Agency Vinnova. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the research agenda of the “Twin Re-Fab” project, aimed to deliver a comprehensive solution employing six disruptive digital technologies - digital twins, 3D scanning, computational design, robotic 3D printing, machine vision and machine learning - to facilitate more circular architectural renovation and reuse of existing building components and materials.

Project description
The successful candidate will work within DTCC Research Area 2 focused on Architectural and Structural Design, pursuing a research agenda of the upcoming “Twin Re-Fab” project, under the scientific mentorship of the project's academic leader, associate professor Malgorzata Zboinska. For aspects of knowledge crossovers between academia and industry, you will additionally collaborate with the industrial co-leader of the project as well as representatives of the project's industry partners. You will also coordinate and mentor the work of Master-level students within a design studio course related to the topic of the project and supervise the work of a small group of Master thesis students contributing to the project work.

Information about the division and the department
The project will contribute to the research carried out within the Digital Twin Cities Centre (DTCC), hosted by Chalmers University of Technology and co-funded by Sweden's Innovation Agency Vinnova. A consortium of 35 Swedish and international stakeholders cooperates in DTCC. Cutting-edge research is conducted in eight different research areas, covering all aspects needed to develop large-scale digital twins. The goal is to utilize the technology for new approaches in urban planning, design, architecture and digital construction. The Centre is led by the Chalmers Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering and Chalmers Area of Advance Information and Communication Technology.

Major responsibilities
Your main responsibilities will be to plan, drive and carry out your research tasks within the “Twin Re-Fab” project's research program and objectives. The position will require tight interaction with the industrial partners of the project. Research communication, through channels such as co-authored research articles, industry papers and exhibitions of prototypes, will also be a part of your assignment.

Your specific tasks will involve a combination of digital reconstruction and 3D scanning of existing architectural components, parametric 3D modeling and robot toolpath design, as well as custom Python programming enabling machine vision and machine learning applications. Further, you will also conduct robotically assisted 3D object registration and machine vision-enabled surface inspection of existing building components, experimental robotic 3D printing trials, qualitative and quantitative data gathering and analysis, and development of software and hardware, such as robot end-effectors, needed for prototyping experiments involving robot vision systems and machine learning algorithms.

The postdoctoral researcher will conceptualize, evaluate and refine the digital workflows and instrumentation essential for the successful integration of the cyberphysical systems and digital technologies of the project. They will also be expected to plan and conduct the material experiments, source and digitalize the building components for the experimental trials and conduct architectural prototyping rounds. The prototypes and achieved results will be demonstrated and presented to our industrial partners through exhibitions, workshops and other means of accessible communication and public outreach.

The selected postdoc is expected to develop own ideas and be able to tackle complex project-related issues independently, with guidance from the scientific mentor, while supervising and collaborating with the master students in architecture, who will join our team in more basic parts of the experimental work.

Contract terms
This postdoc position is a full-time temporary employment for two years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
To apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/Working-at-Chalmers/Vacancies/Pages/default.aspx?rmpage=job&rmjob=11395

Application deadline: 26-02-2023