Postdoc in Human Interaction with humanoid Unitree G1

Umeå universitet is one of Sweden's largest universities with over 41,500 students and approximately 4,600 employees. The university offers a variety of high-quality education programs and world-leading research within several scientific fields, and it was here that the groundbreaking discovery of the gene scissors CRISPR-Cas9, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made. At Umeå universitet, everything is close. Our cohesive campus makes it easy to meet, collaborate, and exchange knowledge, which fosters a dynamic and open culture.

The Department of Computer Science is seeking a postdoc for the project ”Human interaction with the humanoid Unitree G1” within WASP, led by Senior Lecturer Zoe Falomir. The employment is full-time for two years with a planned start in autumn 2026, or as agreed.

The Department of Computer Science at Umeå universitet is an international environment for research and education within a wide spectrum of the computer science field. Read more at the Department of Computer Science.

Project description and tasks

This project proposes the implementation of a cognitive agent in a humanoid robot that collaborates with a human partner to solve a spatial problem (e.g., 3D puzzles).

Tasks: The following shall be performed: (i) scene understanding: detection of objects and relations between objects, and the use of these relations to draw conclusions about new knowledge (i.e., reasoning); (ii) exploring the affordances of objects, learning the consequences of performed actions, and enriching the knowledge base (i.e., learning through interaction); (iii) using previous experiences to predict actions that may be useful in the present, testing them, and updating the knowledge base (i.e., updating learning). Also writing scientific articles and communicating our research progress at conferences.

Methods: Programming a humanoid platform using ROS2 packages, using SLAM, using imitation learning algorithms to learn pick-and-place actions, designing HRI experiments with users, evaluating data, and sharing code and benchmarks in open repositories.

This postdoctoral position is funded by Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP). WASP is Sweden's largest individual research program ever, a large national initiative for strategically motivated fundamental research, education, and recruitment of teachers. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/

Qualifications

To be employed under a fixed-term employment agreement as a postdoc, a doctoral degree or a foreign degree assessed to correspond to a doctoral degree is required.

This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time of the employment decision.

To be employed under the postdoc agreement, priority should be given to those who have obtained a degree according to the preceding paragraph at most three years ago. If there are special reasons, those who obtained a doctoral degree earlier may be considered. Special reasons include leave due to illness, parental leave, positions of trust within trade unions, service within the total defense, or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

Mandatory qualifications

The applicant shall have documented expertise in the following areas:

Doctoral degree in a relevant field, with experience in robotics, especially programming humanoid platforms

Engineering degree in an area related to:

mechanics automatic control mechatronics robotics artificial intelligence

Documented research experience in robot control and more generally complex systems Very good programming skills (e.g., C/C++, Python, ROS) Good skills in numerical analysis Advanced knowledge in computer vision Experience of human–robot interaction

Particularly meritorious

It is particularly meritorious if the applicant has:

Doctoral degree focusing on humanoid platforms

Other meritorious qualifications

It is also meritorious if the applicant has:

Publications in well-reputed conferences such as ICRA, IROS, or HRI (or equivalent) Practical experience with humanoid platforms Knowledge in cognitive robotics and cognitive architectures

Personal qualities

Important personal qualities are:

Very good ability to communicate scientifically in speech and writing in English Good collaborative skills, including the ability to communicate and work effectively together with others and participate in interdisciplinary projects High degree of independence, good problem-solving skills, and the ability for critical and creative thinking

The working language in the group (and at the department) will be English.

Application

A complete application should include:

Cover letter describing your research interests, project ideas, and contact information. Curriculum vitae (CV) with a publication list including DOI links Certified copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation clarifying when the doctoral degree is expected to be obtained Verified copies of other degree certificates, a list of completed academic courses, and grades Copy of doctoral thesis and up to 5 relevant articles Other documents the applicant wishes to invoke. Contact details for two persons willing to act as references.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is made via our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically should be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the bottom of this page. The last application date is September 4, 2026.

For questions, contact Zoe Falomir at zoe.falomir@umu.se

Umeå universitet aims to offer a gender-equal and equitable environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lays the foundation for learning, creativity, and development. We therefore welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for the position in question.