Postdoctoral Research Fellow
About The Position
The School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with a strong computer science or engineering background. This role will focus on the technical development and implementation of autonomous mobile robot assistants in long-term care (LTC) settings. The Fellow will work within the UBC IDEA lab, focusing on robotics, human-robot interaction (HRI), user-centered design, and implementation science. Collaboration with industry partners and individuals with lived experience is a key component. The project aims to co-design visual and auditory communication modalities for robots to effectively convey their intent, actions, and decision logic to older adults, family caregivers, and healthcare staff. Emphasis will be placed on technical robustness, usability, transparency, and workflow compatibility for seamless integration into LTC environments.
Requirements
- PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction, or a closely related field (completed within the past five years).
- Demonstrated strong research knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
- Interest in the subject matter.
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with UX/UI implementation for interactive systems (e.g., multimodal interfaces, visualization, audio feedback).
Responsibilities
- Develop and modify robots in collaboration with industry partners.
- Refine robot communication and interaction systems (visual, auditory, multimodal).
- Integrate UX/UI features with autonomous mobile robot platforms.
- Conduct usability testing, system evaluation, and iterative debugging in real-world settings.
- Lead and support the deployment of the robot in a LTC home.
- Deliver technical training for staff and project partners.
- Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data related to system performance and user interaction.
- Contribute to technical documentation, academic publications, and knowledge translation activities.
- Mentor graduate and undergraduate students working on technical components of the project.
Benefits
- Salary of $60,000 per year at 1.0 FTE for a two-year term.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
