Postdoctoral Positions at UCLA Structures-Computer Interaction Lab

The Structures-Computer Interaction Lab (PI: Prof. M. Khalid Jawed) has openings for multiple postdoctoral researchers. Check our website for a glimpse of various ongoing projects (https://structures.computer/research-menu). We have three positions available. Please click on the appropriate link below for details.

Table of Contents

Position 1: Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Mechanics, Computer Graphics, and Scientific Machine Learning

Position 2: Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics

Position 3: Postdoctoral Researcher in Computer Vision (3D Reconstruction and Autonomous Navigation)

Position 1: Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Mechanics, Computer Graphics, and Scientific Machine Learning

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a strong programming background (C/C++) and knowledge of computational mechanics in mechanical engineering or physically-based simulations in computer graphics. Candidates familiar with popular machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch will be given preference.

The postdoctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. M. Khalid Jawed (Structures-Computer Interaction Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and will collaborate with multiple research groups at North Carolina State University, Boston University, and Carnegie Mellon University. The projects are expected to be supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and industrial partners.

The research project aims to formulate and implement a computationally fast simulation framework (written in C/C++) for soft robots and flexible structures (beams, rods, and shells). The framework will leverage algorithms developed in the fields of computer graphics and discrete differential geometry [Discrete Elastic Rods, Discrete Shells, Computing Discrete Shape Operators]. It is expected that users will use the software to design and simulate robots, improve robotic surgery, control soft robots using model predictive control, understand the mechanics of knots, and so on. The candidate should be able to integrate the software with popular machine learning frameworks to enable machine learning-assisted physics-based modeling and control of engineering systems. A preliminary implementation of the framework is available on GitHub.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Design and implement a user-friendly, modular software framework for the simulation of robots and flexible structures, emphasizing computational efficiency.

Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate students.
Lead community outreach activities to build a user base for the framework, using websites and social media.
Write and edit manuscripts for high-quality journals and participate in grant writing.
Participate in lab management activities as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent degree in mechanics, computer graphics, machine learning, or similar disciplines from a renowned university (students in their final year of doctoral programs are also eligible).

Experience with computer programming (C/C++) and Unix-based operating systems. The postdoctoral fellow will work extensively with a C++ codebase and remote clusters.
Multiple first-authored publications in top journals and conferences in their field of study.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch.
Understanding of Neural Ordinary Differential Equations
Working knowledge of LaTeX, vector graphics software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator), and video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro).

Position Details:

The initial appointment is for one year, with a performance evaluation and possible extension for a second year. The start date is November 1, 2024, or a mutually agreed upon date. The position is fully onsite with no remote work opportunities available.

Application Process:

Applications should be emailed to khalidjm@seas.ucla.edu. Please include the words “Postdoc - Software” in the subject line and submit the following documents as a single PDF:

Cover letter (including names of at least two referees and a link to your GitHub profile or portfolio showing software projects),
Detailed CV, and
Two publications relevant to the position.

Applications received by October 6, 2024, will receive full consideration; however, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Salary:

Information on salary can be found on UCLA’s website. However, an exceptional candidate is expected to be appointed at a base annual salary of $75,000 (above institutional guidelines), contingent upon approval and exceptional case justification.

References:

Below is a list of representative publications that the candidate should be able to read, understand, and implement.

Position 2: Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who can build robots. The ideal candidate should be a full stack roboticist. They should have a track record of building robots as demonstrated through publications in top journals and conferences. Candidates should also be comfortable with numerical modeling (our software is written in C/C++) and core concepts of machine learning, or be a fast learner.

The researcher is expected to contribute to one or more of the following research projects:

Design, fabrication, and field trials of autonomous robots for precision agriculture: The goal is to build autonomous robots and drones that can perform various tasks for precision agriculture, e.g., weed management by precisely spraying herbicides from a UGV and pest management by deploying predatory mites from a UAV [link to a representative publication]. Autonomous navigation is a critical aspect of this project [link to a representative GitHub repository].
Fabrication and numerical simulation of bio-inspired soft robots: The goal of this project is to build, test, and numerically simulate centimeter-scale soft robots that mimic bacterial locomotion. We are specifically interested in leveraging structures instability (buckling in soft filaments) for robotic propulsion [link to a representative publication and link to a publication on numerical simulations].
Robotic manipulation using collaborative robots for autonomous painting: The goal of this project is to augment a collaborative robot (e.g., Sawyer, Rethink Robotics) for autonomous household painting [link to a representative publication].

The postdoctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. M. Khalid Jawed (Structures-Computer Interaction Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and will collaborate with multiple research groups at North Dakota State University and industrial partners. The projects are expected to be supported by the US Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and industrial partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Design, prototype, and field-test end-to-end robotic solutions.
Travel to trial sites and conduct field trials, which may last several weeks, at our partner institutions (e.g., North Dakota State University).

Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate students.
Write and edit manuscripts for high-quality journals and participate in grant writing.
Participate in lab management activities as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent degree in robotics, engineering, or similar disciplines from a renowned university (students in their final year of doctoral programs are also eligible).

Experience with building robots.
Multiple first-authored publications in top journals and conferences in their field of study.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with numerical simulations (e.g., discrete differential geometry-based simulations or finite element method)
Experience with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch.
Working knowledge of LaTeX, vector graphics software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator), and video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro).

Position Details:

Application Process:

Applications should be emailed to khalidjm@seas.ucla.edu. Please include the words “Postdoc - Robotics” in the subject line and submit the following documents as a single PDF:

Cover letter (including names of at least two referees),
Detailed CV, and
Two publications relevant to the position.

Applications received by October 6, 2024, will receive full consideration; however, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Salary:

References:

Below is a list of representative publications that the candidate should be able to read, understand, and implement.

Position 3: Postdoctoral Researcher in Computer Vision (3D Reconstruction and Autonomous Navigation)

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in computer vision and autonomous navigation. The ideal candidate should have a demonstrated track record at the intersection of computer vision and robotics, as evidenced by publications in top journals and conferences. Preference will be given to candidates who have worked with physical robots or hardware, or who are fast learners.

The researcher is expected to contribute to the following research projects:

Efficient 3D reconstruction of large agricultural fields: 3D reconstruction of large swaths of land, such as agricultural fields with intricate features like thin stems and flexible leaves, is a challenging task. Fortunately, there have been monumental advancements in 3D reconstruction techniques, such as neural radiance fields (NeRF). We aim to exploit these methods and develop novel 3D reconstruction techniques that may utilize NeRF and reinforcement learning, implementing these methods on physical robots to address these challenges. The initial goal of the project is to collect and curate data using robots from actual farmlands, such as flax and canola fields in Fargo, ND, while maintaining a small on-campus setup with potted plants. The data collection will span several weeks to capture the variation of the scene over time as plants grow and change.
Autonomous navigation of UAVs and UGVs: This project focuses on developing an autonomous navigation framework for UAVs and UGVs for precision agriculture. The primary interest is in navigating UAVs within high tunnels and greenhouses, where obstacles such as poles and wires exist and GPS is unavailable due to the indoor nature. Additionally, the project aims to ensure robust autonomous navigation of UGVs for continuous data collection from farmlands to build large-scale datasets [link to a representative GitHub repository]. These datasets will support computer vision research, and the framework will address the unique challenges of both indoor and outdoor agricultural environments.

The postdoctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. M. Khalid Jawed (Structures-Computer Interaction Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) and co-supervised by Prof. Wei Wang (Scalable Analytics Institute of the Department of Computer Science). They will collaborate with multiple research groups at North Dakota State University and industrial partners. The projects are expected to be supported by the US Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and industrial partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop efficient 3D reconstruction methods and autonomous navigation frameworks.
Acquire, curate, and release datasets for computer vision research, which may involve physical experiments and rapid prototyping.
Travel to trial sites and conduct field trials, which may last several weeks, at our partner institutions (e.g., North Dakota State University).

Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate students.
Write and edit manuscripts for high-quality journals and participate in grant writing.
Participate in lab management activities as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent degree in computer vision, computer science, robotics, engineering, or similar disciplines from a renowned university (students in their final year of doctoral programs are also eligible).

Experience with computer vision; 3D reconstruction in particular.
Multiple first-authored publications in top journals and conferences in their field of study.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with 3D reconstruction methods such as neural radiance fields
Experience with autonomous navigation of robots
Experience with deploying solutions onto physical robots
Working knowledge of LaTeX, vector graphics software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator), and video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro).

Position Details:

Application Process:

Applications should be emailed to khalidjm@seas.ucla.edu. Please include the words “Postdoc - Computer Vision” in the subject line and submit the following documents as a single PDF:

Cover letter (including names of at least two referees),
Detailed CV, and
Two publications relevant to the position.

Applications received by October 6, 2024, will receive full consideration; however, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Salary:

References:

Below is a list of representative publications that the candidate should be able to read, understand, and implement.