Research Associate in Robotics Manipulation

About the SnT

The is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services.

We play an instrumental role in Europe by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent. We look for researchers from diverse academic backgrounds to contribute to our projects in areas such as : Network Security, Information Assurance, Model-driven Security, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Satellite Systems, Vehicular Networks, and ICT Services & Applications.

Your role

The candidate will lead development activities in the Zero-G Lab and should undertake her / his research on utilising the two UR10e robotic arms installed in the Zero-G Lab to emulate orbital scenarios in 6DOFs for proximity operations and the new robotics-arms research facility to be equipped with 2x UR3, 2xUR6, 2, 1x Kinova Gen2, 1xFranka and 2xKinova Gen3. In addition, the candidate is expected to make significant contributions to the collaboration and V&V mission campaigns with our industrial partners, Infinite Orbits and RedWire, as well as to the in-space operation, assembly, and manufacturing activities of the SpaceR team.

The candidate will contribute to Ice2Thrust.space, an EIC Pathfinder project with TU Munich, Endurosat, and Tech-Tour. The project advances autonomous spacecraft docking, propellant refilling, and in-orbit servicing while exploring water extraction for a circular space economy. SpaceR is developing an RL algorithm for satellite rendezvous, docking, and liquid transfer, with tests conducted in the Zero-G Lab.

The candidate should develop the following tasks :

• Conduct cutting-edge research in learning-based and / or model-based control and / or perception strategies for dexterous robotic manipulation in simulated and real robots
• Support laboratory activities and experiments in the ZeroG Lab facility, including collaboration with commercial partners. Setting up and configuring robotic arms to emulate different on-orbit scenarios and performing software and hardware integration.
• Mentor and Advise PhD students within the research group.
• Contribute to and / or lead the development of research proposals
• Take the lead in drafting, reviewing, and submitting project deliverables.
• Support and contribute to teaching activities, particularly within the Master's course Robotic Manipulation in Space.
• Drive high-impact research dissemination by leading first-author submissions to top-tier (top 10%) journals and collaborating with fellow postdocs on high-quality publications.