We have a fully funded PhD position at KULeuven (Belgium) available on the topic of Adaptive dual control for mechatronic systems
You will be embedded in the MECO (Motion Estimation Control and Optimization) research team of the KU Leuven Department of Mechanical Engineering. The MECO team focusses on the identification, analysis and control of mechatronic systems such as autonomous vehicles, robots, and machine tools. It combines theoretical innovations with experimental validations. The theoretical research benefits from the team’s expertise on numerical optimization, while MECO’s practical knowhow and industrial collaboration are supported by its participation as part of the DMMS core lab in Flanders Make - the strategic research center for the manufacturing industry in Flanders.
Project
The MECO research team of the Mechanical Engineering Department, KU Leuven (Belgium) is looking for a young, motivated and skilled PhD researcher with a strong background in systems and control.
The PhD project targets novel adaptive dual control methodologies, implementations and validations. The aim of dual control is to simultaneously control and excite the system. The controller optimizes stability and performance. Exciting the system within specified tolerances will yield system information that is useful to further improve the controller. In this project you will focus on iterative feedback tuning methods that can be used online and methods to map the relation between controller setpoints and specified performance measures. In both cases we plan to use both model-based and data-driven techniques.
This research will be carried out within the framework of a Flanders Make research project involving researchers from Flanders make and the University of Ghent (Belgium). The project features a pool of industrial partners with whom small exploration cases can be worked out. Furthermore, the project involves demonstration of the developed algorithms on industrially-relevant lab use cases.
Profile
An ideal candidate has a MSc degree in engineering, a strong background in systems, control and programming (MATLAB), a strong interest for algorithm development and experimental validation on lab setups, and enthusiasm for scientific research and its applications. Proficiency in English is a requirement and applicants whose mother tongue is neither Dutch nor English must present an official language test report. Acceptable tests are TOEFL and Academic IELTS. Required minimum scores are:
TOEFL: 610 (paper-based test), 102 (internet-based test)
IELTS: 7.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted)
Apply now! A start date in course of 2023 is to be agreed upon.
To apply: Please use the online application tool (see link below) to submit your application and include:
- an academic CV with photo
- a pdf of your diplomas and transcript of course work and grades statement of research interests and career goals
- sample of technical writing
- list of at least two referees: names and email addresses
- proof of English language proficiency test results.
Offer
A fully funded PhD position for four years at KU Leuven, Belgium.
Within the MECO group, you have the opportunity to interact with and learn from colleagues who work on related topics (control, optimization, robotic systems) on separate projects. You will be supported by a post-doc researcher with expertise in robust feedback control.
Beyond MECO, you will be able to develop cooperation and presentation skills with the other research partner and industrial partners.
Flanders Make
Interested?
You can apply for this job no later than March 31, 2023 via the online application tool.
KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments.
