Postdoc Position in Mobile Robotics

[Herbert Jaeger]

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           Post-doctoral position at the German Nation Research 
           Center for Information Technology (GMD):
           
           Integrating bottom-up learning and planning 
           in a mobile robot that uses stochastic models for
           predicting the consequences of action
           
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Within GMD's annual postdoc programme (details at 
http://ik.gmd.de/PD-97-98.html), a research position on integrating 
bottom-up learning and conceptual-level planning in mobile robots is 
offered in the Cognitive Robotics research group 
(http://www.gmd.de/FIT/KI/CogRob/) at the GMD Institute for System 
Design (SET).

Among many other topics related to the design of mobile robots, the 
group pursues the integration of bottom-up, behavior-based techniques 
with symbolic planning capabilities. It is not intended merely to 
interface a classical planning module with an otherwise behavior-based 
control system. Instead, the symbolic information processing must grow 
out of the dynamics of the robot-environment interaction. This goal is 
to be achieved by combining several techniques: (i) a stochastic 
learning component which enables the robot to learn to predict the 
consequences of its actions, (ii) a dynamical-systems based method 
("Dual Dynamics") for specifying the behaviors of a robot, (iii) an 
architecture for integrating (i) and (ii) with a symbolic planning 
system on the grounds of conceptual knowledge that emerges from the 
robot's prediction learning. The complete system will be implemented 
on a B14 robot, our RoboCup robots, or underwater robots. Details can 
be found in several short papers 
(ftp://ftp.gmd.de/GMD/ais/publications/ 
{1997/jaeger-christaller.97.dd.ps.gz, 1998/jaeger.98.emcsr.ps.gz, 
1998/hertzberg.98.ddplan.ps.gz}).

We are looking for a post-doc researcher who finds this a 
fascinating scientific challenge, and who would like to take 
responsibilities for the success of this endeavor. We 
emphasize that this is not a narrowly defined project position - 
post-doctoral grantholders at GMD can put their own  
scientific stamp on their work. 

Qualifications: The candidate must have a doctoral degree in computer 
science, engineering, physics, mathematics, biology, or related areas. 
Furthermore, we would be happy about as many as possible from among 
the following qualifications: 

- experience in robotics, 
- experience with stochastic system analysis and control,
- familiarity with dynamical systems in general, ODE's in particular, 
- a background in symbolic,
- interest in the fundamental questions of cognitive agents research. 


Women are encouraged to apply. Handicapped people with comparable 
qualifications are given preferential treatment.

Please direct inquiries and applications to Herbert Jaeger at the 
address given below. Formal applications should be prepared according 
to the requirements specified at http://ik.gmd.de/PD-97-98.html. 
Specifically, a short research plan must be included.

>>> The deadline for applications is September 15, 1998.

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Dr. Herbert Jaeger                  Phone  +49-2241-14-2253
German National Research Center     Fax    +49-2241-14-2384
for Information Technology (GMD)    email  herbert.jaeger at gmd.de
SET.KI 
Schloss Birlinghoven                
D-53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany


http://www.gmd.de/People/Herbert.Jaeger/
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