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Robotics Engineer for Construction Mobile Robot at Gramazio Kohler Research. 60%-100%, Zurich, fixed-term
Gramazio Kohler Research, the Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication at the Institute of Technology in Architecture, operates at the forefront of architectural design and production enabled through digital manufacturing techniques. We are looking for a talented Robotics Engineer to join the LAYERED team at ETH Zurich and help revolutionize automated construction. In this role, you will be driving the development of a state-of-the-art perception and locomotion/manipulation software stack operating our mobile manipulation platform to automate surface finishing tasks directly on the construction site.

Project background

The platform serves to automate a critical step in construction, where cementitious plaster is sprayed and formed directly on interior walls of a building structure, a process that is otherwise laborious and at times hazardous. To this end, LAYERED proposes a mobile manipulator robotic system that can directly use the digital model of a building to autonomously plan and execute automated plastering while maintaining safety for humans in the environment.

Job description

You will use your strong development skills to advance the existing prototype to be a robust system for 1:1 scale applications of the process. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to creatively investigate and apply new state-of-the-art methods to drive future evolutions of the system, working towards achieving full operational autonomy. Join us for this exciting and rewarding role and be one of the pioneering developers in an emerging field of construction robotics.

Your profile

Responsibilities:

- Develop robust algorithms and software for robotic plastering with a mobile manipulator
- Propose and assess new state-of-the-art techniques from relevant research literature
- Support further hardware design and development for the robotic platform
- Perform rigorous experimental testing of software stack on real system
- Conduct extensive field testing and real-world system deployments

Minimum Qualifications:

- MS degree in robotics, computer science or electrical/mechanical/aerospace engineering
- 2+ years of experience in software development in C/C++ and Python
- Proficient understanding of the building blocks comprising a robotics software stack such as state estimation, localization and mapping, navigation, motion planning, control, and simulation
- Familiarity with relevant sensor modalities (IMU, LiDAR, cameras, etc) and actuation systems
- Experience deploying and debugging software on real robots or hardware systems
- Experience working with Ubuntu and version control systems such as git
- Experience with robotics toolkits/middleware such as ROS/ROS2
- Excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate within team using agile development (English proficiency is a requirement for this position)
- Comfortable working in an early-stage startup, being self motivated with a particular attention to details, and working within ambiguity
- Capable of executing tasks that necessitate actions such as standing, kneeling, crouching, rotating the upper body, navigating through tight spaces in confined areas, and ascending/descending using hands and arms for support. This includes the capability to lift objects weighing up to 25 kg
- Must be prepared to work in various environmental conditions, which include exposure to seasonal temperature variations and outdoor elements, in dusty and loud environments

Preferred Qualifications:

- PhD in robotics or other relevant technical field
- 5+ years of experience in software development in C/C++ and Python
- 5+ years of experience developing robotic systems or relevant software/hardware systems
- Experience with Docker, cloud computing, or similar applications
- Experience with data processing, logging, and visualization tools
- Experience with toolkits/middleware such as ROS/ROS2, gRPC, LCM
- Experience with trajectory optimization, obstacle/collision avoidance, feedback control systems
- Experience with controller design (linear/nonlinear/optimal/robust control, LQR, DDP, MPC, etc)
- Experience with optimization techniques (linear/quadratic/semidefinite/nonlinear optimization, etc)
- Experience with system modeling (kinematics, dynamics, Euler-Lagrange, Newton-Euler, etc)
- Experience with state estimation (sensor fusion, Kalman filters, etc)
- Experience with deep learning software (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc)
- Experience with deep reinforcement learning algorithms and software (PPO, TRPO, etc)
- Experience with geometry processing tools for 3D data manipulation, visualization, and analysis, (Open3D, PCL, CGAL, VTK, etc)

See full details and job posting on the official ETH Zurich Job Portal (link).

Please apply exclusively via the online application portal. Applications sent by e-mail or post will not be considered.
Copyright 2023, Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Gramazio Kohler Research
Professur für Architektur und Digitale Fabrikation
ETH Zürich HIB E 43
Stefano-Franscini Platz 1 / CH-8093 Zürich

+41 44 633 49 06
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