PhD position in Human-Robot Interaction

SDU Robotics, part of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), invites applications for a PhD position, where the candidate will work on projects involving human-robot interaction and humanoid robotics. 

The position is open for both 5+3 PhD applicants (candidates with a completed master’s degree within a relevant field of study by the starting date) and 4+4 PhD applicants (only relevant for candidates enrolled in a master’s programme at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Southern Denmark, who has completed 1 year (60 ECTS credits) of studies by the starting date. You must state clearly in your application documents whether you apply for the 5+3 or the 4+4 PhD programme. 

The starting date is September 1, 2024. The workplace is at SDU's main campus in Odense, Denmark, and the work is expected to be primarily onsite.

The application deadline is August 3, 2025, at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CET/CEST) 

What we offer

• An exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of robotics for real-world applications.
• A collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages innovation and creativity.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership.
• Access to state-of-the-art technology and resources.

Project description
We are currently working on the HospiBot project in which we are designing, developing and evaluating a modular interactive robot system for various service tasks for hospitals. In a second project we will be developing and testing an interactive high performance AI-enabled upper-torso humanoid robot for use in tasks on assembly lines and at chemical laboratories. In the third project we are evaluating the use of medical assistive technologies like an automatic arthritis scanning robot in user studies in Denmark and Germany.

The aim of this PhD project is to contribute to these projects, especially in terms of:

1. Improving the robots’ interactive capabilities using LLMs and generative AI as well as non-verbal communication techniques, e.g. gaze tracking.
2. Conducting human-robot interaction studies with the goal of incrementally improving the robots’ abilities to complete their tasks.

Profile and requirements for 5+3 applicants
The position requires a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish master’s degree) within robotics or related fields and the candidate is expected to have a profound knowledge of the majority of the following topics:

The candidate is expected to have a profound knowledge of the majority of the following topics:

• Human-robot interaction
• Large Language Models / Generative AI
• Humanoid robotics

Preferably, the candidate has experience with: 

• CAD for designing robots
• Medical robotics 
• Experimental design and data analysis

We are looking for highly motivated and ambitious candidates with excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken), who can work well in an interdisciplinary team as well as independently and quickly acquire knowledge in new topics. 

Profile and requirements for 4+4 applicants
To apply for the 4+4 PhD position, it is required that the applicant is enrolled in a master’s programme (kandidatuddannelse) at the Faculty of Engineering, SDU, and has completed the first year at the time for enrollment. Preferably the candidate is enrolled in the master’s programme Robot Systems Engineering. 

The candidate is expected to have a profound knowledge of the majority of the following topics:

• Human-robot interaction
• Large Language Models / Generative AI
• Humanoid robotics

Preferably, the candidate has experience with: 

• CAD for designing robots
• Medical robotics 
• Experimental design and data analysis

We are looking for highly motivated and ambitious candidates with excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken), who can work well in an interdisciplinary team as well as independently and quickly acquire knowledge in new topics. 

Research environment
The candidate will be integrated in the section SDU Robotics, which is at the core of the  Odense Robotics Cluster involving Universal Robots, Mobile Industrial Robots (MIR) and 120+ other companies. We are a team of appr. 60 researchers and engineers specialized in robot solutions involving modelling, estimation, and control of advanced robot technologies. 

The group is involved in a variety of national and European projects and features a strong network of academic and industrial partners. We solve challenging research problems from real applications and implement novel robot solutions together with end users such as hospitals, Novo Nordisk, LEGO and Danfoss.

We value teamwork, professional diligence, enthusiasm for robotics and the drive to adopt new skills and extended responsibilities. We offer an open, international team with flexible work organization and support for individual development.

Further information
Please visit us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sdu-robotics. 

Further information about this position is available via email from Associate Professor Oskar Palinko ospa@mmmi.sdu.dk.  

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information. 
Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

ODENSE
As the 3rd largest city in Denmark, Odense provides the perfect combination of a historic city center with an urban field yet a close proximity to beaches and recreational areas. Its location on the beautiful island of Funen is ideal with easy access by train or highway to the bigger cities of Aarhus and Copenhagen; direct trains can take you straight to Copenhagen airport in less than 2 hours. Since 1966 the city has been a university town, and strong collaborative ties are in place between the University of Southern Denmark and the many Danish and International corporations in the region. As the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark’s famous fairytale author, the city is home to a vibrant and creative population that hosts numerous festivals and markets throughout the year.

Application procedure
Before applying the candidates are advised to read the Faculty information for prospective PhD students and the SDU information on how to apply.

 

The application deadline is August 3, 2025, at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CET/CEST) 

 

Assessment of the candidates is based on the application material, and the application must be in English and must include the following:

• Motivation letter stating your specific interest, motivation and qualifications for the project in question (max. 2 pages). 
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae including personal contact information.
• References (names and emails) and/or reference letters, you're welcome to use the form for reference letter at the Faculty website.
• List of publications and maximum 2 examples of relevant publications, in case you have any publications.
• Documentation of other qualifications with relevance for the position.

5+3 applicants must also include in their application:

• Verified copies of the official bachelor diploma and master’s diploma and transcripts of exams, both the original documents and in professional English translation 
• Completed TEK PhD application form for 5+3 applicants. Find the form at the Faculty website.
• Completed TEK PhD form for calculation grade point average. Find the form at the Faculty website. 
• An official document describing the grading scheme of the awarding universities (if not Danish). 
• Only for applicants from programmes that evaluate thesis/examination project by approved/not approved: an official and verified written assessment of the thesis or dissertation project from the grade giving institution. The statement must clearly state that the candidate has been among the top 30 pct. in the graduation class for the study programme.

4+4 applicants must also include in their application: 

• Verified copy of the official bachelor diploma including transcripts of grades (both the original documents and in professional English translation)
• Verified copy of the current master’s transcript of records from the University of Southern Denmark.  
• Completed TEK PhD application form for 4+4 applicants. Find the form at the Faculty website.
• Completed TEK PhD form for calculation grade point average. Find the form at the Faculty website. 
• An official document describing the grading scheme of the awarding universities (if not Danish). 

 

The application must clearly state whether you apply for the 5+3 or the 4+4 PhD programme.

 

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application shall be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’ (max. 5 MB), Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded as ‘Resume’ (max 5 MB). All other documents shall be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’ (max 10 files of max 50 MB per file). 

All documents must be in English and PDF format. CPR number (civil registration no.) must be crossed out. All PDF-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, are subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position.

 

Assessment and selection process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.  Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation. 

Read about the Assessment and selection process.  

 

Conditions of employment for 5+3 PhD fellows
Applicants must hold a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) at the time of enrollment and employment. Employment of a PhD Fellow can only happen after the PhD School has approved the candidate for admission. Employment and enrollment will cease without further notice at the end of the period. 

Employment as a PhD Fellow is a 3-year salaried position. Read more about salary%2Funiversities-and-institutions-of-higher-education%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cminf%40tek.sdu.dk%7C4aafca463aad4abc00b508ddbd51b97e%7C9a97c27db83e4694b35354bdbf18ab5b%7C0%7C0%7C638874880883110779%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Xd4My%2BlXBF2M9%2FOSIXfJMxt9G6bjKOxOG0IEuBHuRjg%3D&reserved=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the basic scale of the collective agreement. Find more information on salary and taxation in Denmark.

The workplace is at SDU's main campus in Odense, Denmark, and the work is expected to be primarily onsite. For the 5+3 candidate, the preferred starting date is September 1, 2025, but individual agreements may be made with the successful candidate.  

Enrollment will be in accordance with Faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order). Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Further information about salary and conditions of employment for PhD students.

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a self-organiser.

 

Conditions of employment for 4+4 PhD fellows

To be considered for the position it is required that the applicant is enrolled in a master’s programme (kandidatuddannelse) at the Faculty of Engineering, SDU, and has completed the first year at the time for enrollment.

The workplace is at SDU's main campus in Odense, Denmark, and the work is expected to be primarily onsite. The mandatory starting date for 4+4 PhD candidates is September 1, 2025.

The 4+4 PhD fellowship programme is divided into a 22-month grant period followed by an employment period. When the master's degree (kandidatuddannelse) is achieved and you as least have attained a grade of 10 (Danish scale), you will be employed at the same terms as a 3-year PhD fellowship. Employment and enrollment will cease without further notice at the end of the period.

Enrollment will be in accordance with Faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order). Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Further information about salary and conditions of employment for PhD students. 

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a self-organiser.

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.
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