Post-Doctoral Research Visit F/M Robust Whole-Body Motion Generation for Agile and High-Force Loco-Manipulation Tasks in Realistic Environments

Contract type : Fixed-term contract

Level of qualifications required : PhD or equivalent

Fonction : Post-Doctoral Research Visit

Context

This postdoctoral position is part of the French ANR JCJC project MeRLin (https://members.loria.fr/EMingoHoffman/merlin-2024-2028/), which focuses on controlling loco-manipulation actions involving significant interaction forces. Typical scenarios include carrying or pushing heavy loads or navigating harsh environments using multiple contact modalities, all of which are performed with humanoid bipedal robots.

While such systems have recently gained traction in the automotive sector, their full capabilities remain underutilized. The goal of this position is to develop and demonstrate advanced whole-body motion strategies suitable for more demanding applications, such as construction sites, search and rescue operations, or disaster response scenarios.

 

Assignment

The objective is to design motion policies that leverage the robot's entire body and multiple contact modalities to exert and withstand high interaction forces. The work will involve both model-based and learning-based approaches, with a strong focus on integrating them into a unified control framework. These methods will be implemented and validated on the G1 humanoid robot, available in our laboratory. 

 

Main activities

 

  • Develop a theoretical and practical framework using model- and/or learning-based methods for whole-body motion control capable of achieving tasks requiring high levels of interaction forces; 
  • Design and implement experiments using the G1 robot involving locomotion and manipulation; 
  • Validate the developed methodologies and algorithms in simulation (IsaacSim, MuJoCo) ; 
  • Conduct experiments with laboratory assets to test the effectiveness of the proposed approaches;  
  • Document research findings in academic papers and present them at conferences and workshops; 
  • Collaborate with other researchers and engineers to integrate the developed algorithms into practical robotic systems;
  • Explore potential applications of the developed methodologies and algorithms in industrial automation and service robotics domains. 

Skills

Languages : English

Relational skills : proactivity and team working

Benefits package

  • Subsidized meals
  • Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
  • Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
  • Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
  • Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
  • Social, cultural and sports events and activities
  • Access to vocational training
  • Social security coverage

Remuneration

€2788 gross/month