Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT (ww.iit.it) is opening a Researcher position within the Visual and Multimodal Applied Learning Research Line (VANDAL), led by Prof. Caputo, in Turin, in the area of deep perceptual algorithms for non-anthropomorphic soft robots.
The selected candidate will contribute in activities related to the "ROBOEXNOVO - Robots learning about objects from externalized knowledge sources" project funded by the European Union's H2020 Programme with Grant Agreement n. 637076.
Soft robots are at the forefront of AI community research. Differently from their anthropomorphic counterparts, they exploit hundreds to thousands of sensors each, being thus able to generate humongous amount of data that need to be analyzed and understood in order to inform intelligent interactions and behaviors. This poses a wide set of challenging for learning methods called to deal with the modeling of perceptual intelligence of such systems. For instance, an octopus-like soft robot may contain tens of tentacles, each equipped with tens to hundreds of (image) sensors able to (continuously) generate a stream of (~103) pictures/inputs to be ingested and processed. Imaging an applications using a swarm of hundreds of such soft robots quickly raises the number of pictures/inputs to elaborate in the order of 105. Learning a model for representing the environment where the soft robots act requires to process such huge amount of data several times, thus quickly moving the demand for computing resource at the Peta/Exascale level. This in turn, coupled with the challenges posed by a perceiving system so radically different from the current mainstream devices that feed modern computer vision algorithms, calls for a radical rethinking of modern deep vision algorithms.
The goal of our research is to build the algorithmic foundations of intelligent perceptual soft robots. We will investigate how modern deep learning approaches that have proved successful in visual recognition can deal with this completely new setting, both in terms of performance and in terms of computational scalability. To do so, we will design an experimental setting for studying up to 3 scenarios where visual perception is relevant and might support applications of interest for industrial key players.
Strong collaborations with the group of Dr. Barbara Mazzolai is foreseen.
The candidate should have a strong technical and theoretical background, with a PhD in computer science or similar, at least two years of postdoctoral experience with a proved record of research on modern methods of machine learning applied to computer vision and robotics.
Applicants are expected to have a strong publication record in the top journals and conferences in the fields of robotics, computer vision and machine learning.
The successful candidate will start his contract from January 2020. Salary will be highly competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application procedure (deadline is December 8th, 2019): please submit your application, including a detailed CV, 3 representative publications and 2 pages of research statement in PDF format to applications@iit.it quoting “Researcher position CB 77784” in the subject line.
Candidates must also request 3 reference letters, that should be sent in PDF format directly to applications@iit.it
IIT was established in 2003 and successfully created a large-scale infrastructure in Genova and a network of 10 state-of-the-art laboratories countrywide with an international staff of about 1100 people from more than 50 countries. IIT's research endeavour focuses on high-tech and innovation, representing the forefront of technology with possible application from medicine to industry, material science, robotics, life sciences and nano-biotechnologies.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workforce.
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L’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) è una fondazione di diritto privato - cfr. determinazione Corte dei Conti 23/2015 “IIT è una fondazione da inquadrare fra gli organismi di diritto pubblico con la scelta di un modello di organizzazione di diritto privato per rispondere all’esigenza di assicurare procedure più snelle nella selezione non solo nell’ambito nazionale dei collaboratori, scienziati e ricercatori ”.
IIT è sotto la vigilanza del Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca e del Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze ed è stato istituito con la Legge 326/2003. La Fondazione ha l'obiettivo di promuovere l'eccellenza nella ricerca di base e in quella applicata e di favorire lo sviluppo del sistema economico nazionale. La costruzione dei laboratori iniziata nel 2006 si è conclusa nel 2009.
Lo staff complessivo di IIT conta circa 1440 persone. L’area scientifica è rappresentata da circa l’85% del personale. Il 45% dei ricercatori proviene dall’estero: di questi, il 29% è costituito da stranieri provenienti da oltre 50 Paesi e il 16% da italiani rientrati. Oggi il personale scientifico è composto da circa 60 principal investigators, circa 110 ricercatori e tecnologi di staff, circa 350 post doc, circa 500 studenti di dottorato e borsisti, circa 130 tecnici. Oltre 330 posti su 1400 creati su fondi esterni. Età media 34 anni. 41% donne / 59 % uomini.
Nel 2015 IIT ha ricevuto finanziamenti pubblici per circa 96 milioni di euro (80% del budget), conseguendo fondi esterni per 22 milioni di euro (20% budget) provenienti da 18 progetti europei, 17 finanziamenti da istituzioni nazionali e internazionali, circa 60 progetti industriali
La produzione di IIT ad oggi vanta circa 6990 pubblicazioni, oltre 130 finanziamenti Europei e 11 ERC, più di 350 domande di brevetto attive, oltre 12 start up costituite e altrettante in fase di lancio. Dal 2009 l’attività scientifica è stata ulteriormente rafforzata con la creazione di dieci centri di ricerca nel territorio nazionale (a Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) e internazionale (MIT ed Harvard negli USA) che, unitamente al Laboratorio Centrale di Genova, sviluppano i programmi di ricerca del piano scientifico 2015-2017.
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is a public research institute that adopts the organizational model of a private law foundation. IIT is overseen by Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca and Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze (the Italian Ministries of Education, Economy and Finance). The Institute was set up according to Italian law 326/2003 with the objective of promoting excellence in basic and applied research andfostering Italy’s economic development. Construction of the Laboratories started in 2006 and finished in 2009.
IIT has an overall staff of about 1,440 people. The scientific staff covers about 85% of the total. Out of 45% of researchers coming from abroad 29% are foreigners coming from more than 50 countries and 16% are returned Italians. The scientific staff currently consists of approximately 60 Principal Investigators, 110 researchers and technologists, 350 post-docs and 500 PhD students and grant holders and 130 technicians. External funding has allowed the creation of more than 330 positions . The average age is 34 and the gender balance proportion is 41% female against 59% male.
In 2015 IIT received 96 million euros in public funding (accounting for 80% of its budget) and obtained 22 million euros in external funding (accounting for 20% of its budget). External funding comes from 18 European Projects, other 17 national and international competitive projects and approximately 60 industrial projects.
So far IIT accounts for: about 6990 publications, more than 130 European grants and 11 ERC grants, more than 350 patents or patent applications, 12 up start-ups and as many which are about to be launched. The Institute’s scientific activity has been further strengthened since 2009 with the establishment of 11 research nodes throughout Italy (Torino, Milano, Trento, Parma, Roma, Pisa, Napoli, Lecce, Ferrara) and abroad (MIT and Harvard University, USA), which, along with the Genoa-based Central Lab, implement the research programs included in the 2015-2017 Strategic Plan.