PhD – Soft sensors for self-healing robotic phantoms – Belgium

The Brussels Human Robotics Research Centre is seeking a PhD student to research and develop a new soft detection solution for self-repairing robotic phantoms for repeated surgical training in a joint project, entitled RESSURG, between VUB-Brubotics, VUB-SUME and STB-KULeuven. 

Brubotics is the Brussels Human Robotics Research Centre of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). In strong interdisciplinary teams, it strives to advance key robotic technologies for a new generation of robots that enable the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Human Robotics. With its research group of more than 60 researchers, it conducts fundamental and applied research, collaborating closely with various companies and founding its own robotics spin-off companies.

BruBotics is affiliated with imec and collaborates on this project with another VUB research group, Sustainable Materials Engineering (SUME), which focuses on the R&D of self-repairing polymers that will be exploited in this project in robotic phantoms. In addition, the Soft Tissue Biomechanics (STB) research group at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is connected to this project to guide the design of materials and the morphology of the phantom.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct high-quality doctoral research in the field.
• Actively foster collaboration between VUB BruBotics, VUB SUME and KULeuven.
• Work closely with members of the Brubotics team and research groups at VUB, imec and KULeuven.
• Investigate research questions on innovative soft sensing strategies for surgical phantoms, aimed at monitoring internal stress, detecting damage and evaluating recovery processes.
• Commit to becoming a leading expert in soft sensors for medical applications, including surgical phantoms, by participating in comprehensive literature reviews, attending advanced courses, participating in specialised training programmes, and actively contributing to (inter)national conferences, industrial fairs, and winter schools.
• Prepare detailed technical evaluation reports on solutions, implementations, and experiments developed, leading to publications in top-tier conferences and journals.
• Present your results to potential industrial stakeholders with the aim of ultimately translating and valorising the technologies developed.
• Support teaching by assisting in laboratory sessions for relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree courses (up to 10% of your responsibilities).

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in electronic, electrical, control or robotic engineering, computer science or a related field.
• Excellent academic record, with at least one distinction (preferably a high distinction).
• Solid experience in soft and elastic sensing (e.g., strain gauge sensing, EIT, PAT), control engineering, optimisation and modelling, together with a strong interest in (soft) robotic systems.
• Advanced programming skills in C/C++. Proficiency in Python or MATLAB is desirable.
• Collaborative team player with excellent communication skills.
• High level of proficiency in both spoken and written English.
• Strong passion for participating in interdisciplinary research and eager to tackle complex challenges across multiple fields.

Advantages: 

• One-year PhD scholarship. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship may be renewed for three additional years to complete the PhD.
• The amount of your monthly scholarship is calculated according to thescholarship amountsfor PhD students in the salary scales for contract research staff (in Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will receive eco-cheques, an internet connectivity allowance and a bicycle allowance or full reimbursement of public transport costs for your commuting. 

Organisation/company: VUB Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Field of research:

Research profile: Early-stage researcher (R1)

Country: Brussels

Application deadline: 13 March 2026 – 14:59 (Europe/Brussels)

More information: Euraxess