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The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in collaboration with the Miner School of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell are seeking a postdoctoral researcher who will have the opportunity to conduct wearable robot research and development.
Through an award from the National Science Foundation, the project seeks to develop wearable robotic assistive strategies that adapt to the user’s needs and environment. In this portion of the project, we aim to use soft wearable sensors at the hip and knee to extract information about the user’s walking mechanics and update control strategies. To achieve the specific aims of the project, the researcher will need to identify salient features from the collected data that can be used to update the controller as user/task demands change, incorporate the data into a real-time controller, and evaluate the effectiveness of the control approach. The majority of work will take place at the UMass Lowell NERVE Center.
Towards the goals of the grant, the postdoc will serve five primary functions in the day-to-day coordination of the project:
Through an award from the National Science Foundation, the project seeks to develop wearable robotic assistive strategies that adapt to the user’s needs and environment. In this portion of the project, we aim to use soft wearable sensors at the hip and knee to extract information about the user’s walking mechanics and update control strategies. To achieve the specific aims of the project, the researcher will need to identify salient features from the collected data that can be used to update the controller as user/task demands change, incorporate the data into a real-time controller, and evaluate the effectiveness of the control approach. The majority of work will take place at the UMass Lowell NERVE Center.
Towards the goals of the grant, the postdoc will serve five primary functions in the day-to-day coordination of the project:
- Biomechanics data collection and analysis measuring human walking dynamics.
- Design and development of wearable robotic controllers that incorporates wearable sensor information with the aim of adapting assistance strategies based on user/task demands.
- Develop and maintain code for interfacing with wearable sensors. This project uses newly developed soft sensors for measuring joint kinematics. Code may need to be updated and maintained.
- Report and paper writing for project management, experiment results, and grant proposals.
- Collaborate and coordinate research activities with faculty, other post-docs, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff at UMass Lowell and with partner institutions. Supervise students as assigned.
- Education: Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Biomechanics, Exercise Science/Kinesiology, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field, with a thesis in the area of wearable devices, expertise in walking biomechanics and human data experiments, and programming expertise in Python and MATLAB.
- Experience: At least three years of experience with and proficiency in:
- Human motion capture instrumentation including optical systems and instrumented treadmill/force platforms for collection and analysis of human motion
- Surface EMG instrumentation data collection and analysis
- Human subjects research
- Wearable robotics and sensors
- Skills: Some programming expertise in Python/C++ and MATLAB
- Ability to start position no later than January 2025
- Preference given to candidates with experience in: inertial motion capture (IMUs), Matlab/Python programming, Visual3d programming, indirect Calorimetry (oxygen consumption measures), development of controllers for robotics