Connectionists: PhD position, University of Genoa, Italy – Multidimensional peripersonal space sensing

[Silvio P. Sabatini]

Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship (with 
scholarship) for a period of 3 years, starting Nov 2014, at “The 
Physical Structure of Perception and Computation” (PSPC) lab of the 
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System 
Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Italy.

The proposed PhD research project will be focused on “Representing 
peripersonal space through sensorimotor likelihoods”.
On the ground of the research framework developed in the PSPC lab at 
DIBRIS (see www.eyeshots.it, [1]), the activity will focus on the design 
of theoretical models by converting computational approaches from 
engineering into cortical-like models of implicit representations of the 
peripersonal space. Such implicit representations, besides advancing 
experimental predictions about neuronal activity,  are expected to drive 
learning of meaningful interactions with the environment thus achieving 
fluid multi-dimensional motor control in the presence of multiple 
sensory channels, and with minimal a priori knowledge.

[1] Antonelli M., Gibaldi A., Beuth F., Duran A.J., Canessa A., Chessa 
M., Solari F., del Pobil A.P., Hamker F., Chinellato E. and Sabatini 
S.P. (in press) A hierarchical system for a distributed representation 
of the peripersonal space of a humanoid robot. IEEE Trans. on Autonomous 
Mental Development.

The project will provide the opportunity to work on neural modeling, 
visual psychophysics, robotics, or a combination of them. Experimental, 
modeling, and theoretical approaches might be pursued with a different 
accent according to personal attitude.

Ongoing cooperation, at international level, with research groups of 
different disciplines, will ensure a highly interdisciplinary and 
stimulating environment.

Full details on the call and the application procedure are available at:

http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply


Successful applicants would have a good honors degree in bioengineering, 
computer science, physics or related disciplines, strong interest in 
computational neuroscience, and an open mind for interdisciplinary research.

On-line application will be soon opening (deadline: August 30th, 2014 at 
12:00 noon (Italian time/CET))

Prospective students, please contact: Silvio Sabatini 
(silvio.sabatini at unige.it).


DIBRIS is a unique inter-school department of the University of Genoa, 
bridging together researchers from the former Science and Engineering 
Faculties. It offers an excellent multidisciplinary, interactive and 
collaborative research environment combining expertise in computer 
vision, computational neuroscience, neuromorphic computing, robotics and 
mechatronics.

PSPC-Lab (www.pspc.unige.it), has a long-standing expertise in visual 
coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and 
computer vision. In the last five years, the lab’s research activity 
focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial 
cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space.


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Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD                         [PSPC Research Group]
Professor of Bioengineering
DIBRIS - University of Genova     |  e_mail:silvio.sabatini at unige.it
Via Opera Pia, 11A                |  phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794
I-16145 Genova (ITALY)            |  fax:   +39 010 3532289/3536533
URL:http://pspc.unige.it
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge..."   [Albert Einstein]