项目介绍

2025年4月11日

Are you fascinated by how intelligent robots can learn and adapt in the real world—autonomously and efficiently? Do you want to push the boundaries of active inference and deploy it on edge devices for real-time robot control? Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) invites applications for a PhD position on Embedded Active Inference for Autonomous Robot Manipulation, as part of the prestigious ANT MSCA Doctoral School.

Job description

As robots become more autonomous, the need for efficient and scalable decision-making algorithms grows. Active inference is a promising framework that unifies perception, action, and learning under a principled probabilistic model. This PhD project explores how to embed active inference into resource-constrained devices to enable responsive, adaptive manipulation in robotic systems.

The project focuses on designing robust latent spaces for predictive models, leveraging encoder-decoder and attention-based architectures for scalability, and compressing model representations through hierarchical structures—all while optimizing for real-time performance on embedded hardware.

You’ll be working at TU Delft in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, co-supervised by leading experts from both academia and industry. The project includes secondments at innovative partner institutions like XOsight, where you’ll apply and validate your models on real-world robotics platforms.

This position also includes two unique research visits:

           •  3 months visit to XOsight, to design a scalable model to speed up large dataset processing in indoor robot inventory.

          •   4 months visit to UMass, to desgin compressed yet accurate on-device active inference model.

Your home base will be the Embedded Systems group at TU Delft, where you’ll be supervised by Prof. K. Langendoen, Chair of the group, and Dr. Qing Wang, co-founder of TU Delft’s Embedded AI lab and Project Coordinator of ANT. You will be also supervised by Prof. M. Wisse, Chair of the Department of Cognitive Robotics of TU Delft, and Chair of the Robot Dynamics Group.

 As a member of this dynamic and dedicated research group, you will collaborate closely with academic staff, fellow PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers, all committed to advancing the field of network science. Our team fosters an environment of open discussion, knowledge exchange, and regular collaboration to explore complex networks across technological, biological, and social domains. Throughout your PhD journey, you will also receive comprehensive training to support your development as a researcher.

Job requirements

Required expertise:

We are looking for candidates with a background in at least one of the following domains in the context of embedded systems, robotics, and AI:

•  A solid hands-on experience of embedded systems
•  Embedded machine learning
•  Robot operating system
•  Signal processing and applied optimization

General requirements:

•  Good track record in Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees
•  Strong analytical or implementation skills
•  Strong programming skills in one or more of the following languages: C/C++/Rust, Python
•  Good command of the English language (written and spoken)

Conditions of international mobility of researchers:

Researchers are required to undertake trans-national mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. At the time of selection by the TU Delft, the candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science 

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Conditions of employment 

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2901 per month in the first year to € 3707 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  

Additional information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Qing Wang, via qing.wang@tudelft.nl

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 4 May 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

– A cover letter in which you explicitly state your topic of interest, the research plan, and why you find yourself a suitable candidate for this topic (max. 800 words).

– Resume/CV including:

                • The applicant’s educational and research background,

                • Professional skills,

                • List of publications, and

                • Two reference letters

– Copies of your BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts.

Applications will be evaluated as they come in, so please apply as soon as possible.

You can address your application to Dr. Qing Wang.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.