The e-Media lab (KU Leuven, Belgium) has a fully funded PhD position on in squeezable and fun interactions for healthcare applications.
In this PhD project, you investigate how to further empower health care professionals and patients, by extending and optimising the Skweezee technology. You will investigate how sensors, e-textiles,and machine learning techniques can be used to improve and enable rich and fun squeeze interactions. Moreover, you will engage in a participatory design approach, in which you carefully collaborate with health care professionals and patients to ensure a values-led, user driven design of a DIY platform. Read more on https://icts.kuleuven.be/
PHD POSITION IN SQUEEZABLE INTERACTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE APPLICATIONS
Over the last decade, novel paradigms have been suggested to enhance the interaction between humans and computers. The combination of reliable sensors and smart algorithms has paved the way for exploiting the rich potential of the human system, i.e. our senses and our capabilities to manipulate objects and move our body. The e-Media Lab recently developed “Skweezee”-technology, allowing users to provide input by deforming soft objects. The clever use of e-textiles and machine learning allow for recognizing these squeeze gestures. In addition, a DIY platform has been envisioned for occupational therapists, in order to build tailor-made interactive systems for their clients.
PHD POSITION IN SQUEEZABLE INTERACTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE APPLICATIONS
The e-Media Research Lab investigates, develops and implements novel techniques to enhance the human condition with embodied media. Our systems contain sensors that capture input from a human user or information from the environment, algorithms that analyse these data, and intelligent systems with actuators that generate meaningful output. Central to our research questions is how humans will perceive this output, and how they respond to it. Often we implement fully interactive systems that are fun and engaging, and at the same time serve a serious purpose. Meaningful, embodied interactions are crucial. Applications are found in the domain of health care, learning and entertainment. The e-Media Lab brings together expertise from different domains such as electrical engineering, signal processing, data analysis, machine learning, computer sciences, software engineering, social sciences and user experience design
PROJECT
In this PhD project, we aim to investigate how to further empower health care professionals and patients, by extending and optimising the Skweezee technology. You will investigate how sensors, e-textiles,and machine learning techniques can be used to improve and enable rich squeeze interactions.Moreover, you will engage in a participatory design approach, in which you carefully collaborate with health care professionals and patients to ensure a values-led, user driven design of a DIY platform. You will explore and test how the system can be incorporated in therapy and how it can be adapted to the needs of the client. The goal is to build a DIY platform with low floors, a high ceiling and wide walls
PROFILE
Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, ProductDesign or an equivalent university-level degree and relevant experience
Strong and demonstrated computer programming skills
Research, work, or significant course experience in human-computer interaction
Experience and/or keen interest in machine learning
A creative mind and a talent to create aesthetic experiences
An interest to engage in a participatory, user-centered design process
Ability to work as an independent and flexible researcher in interdisciplinary teams
Strong English writing and speaking skills
OFFER
This fully-funded position will be established in the e-Media Research Lab of theFaculty of Engineering Technology at the KU Leuven in Belgium under thesupervision of Prof. Dr. Luc Geurts and Prof. Dr. Vero Vanden Abeele.
INTERESTED?
For more information please contact Prof. Dr Luc Geurts, tel.: +32 16 30 11 01, mail: luc.geurts@kuleuven.be or Prof. Dr Vero Vanden Abeele, tel.: +32 16 30 11 05, mail:vero.vandenabeele@kuleuven.be.
You can apply for this job no later than June 30, 2017 via the online application tool (https://webwsp.aps.kuleuven.