PhD position in Sustainable Robotics

The Robotic Materials group is looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate for the topic of sustainable robotics.

The Robotic Materials group headed by Prof. Hedan Bai at Department of Materials was established in October 2023. We are an international and interdisciplinary team of material scientists, roboticists and chemists with a passion for futuristic robotics. We take a bottom-​up approach to robotics and develop soft materials and devices that would enable unusual form and unconventional functions for broader robotic applications.

Natural organisms evolved to be extraordinary survivors thanks to their self-healing abilities. Robots with comparable survivability could not only address pressing issues of sustainability, but also unlock powerful robotic functions such as resilience and intelligence towards physical damage. We envision a class of sustainable robots that are not easily damaged, can self-heal from damage, can survive catastrophic failure, and can be recycled or reprocessed at the end of life. The goal of this project is to develop novel sustainable soft materials and demonstrate the sustainable robotic functions in the real-​world environment.

• Design and synthesis of functional sustainable soft materials
• Design and fabrication of devices and robots
• Circular life cycle study

This is a full-time position that starts as soon as possible. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field from a top-notch university. Background in polymer chemistry is a plus
• A Maker, an Engineer, and a Scientist. We are looking for candidates with strong hands-on skills in building complex engineering systems, abundant scientific curiosity to explore the unknowns, and unwavering efforts to overcome obstacles
• Proficiency in oral and written English
• Team player. Enjoy working in an open, diverse, and interdisciplinary team

• A productive working environment with training and guidance from the PI on a regular basis
• Competitive salary according to ETH standards for doctoral students (fully funded, full-time, fixed term position)
• An interdisciplinary, international, and diverse team of talents and a stimulating, vibrant work environment