Student Research Assistant (m/f/div) for artificial muscle fabrication and characterization

Artificial muscles can shape a new generation of robots and orthotic devices. The MPI-IS Robotic Materials Department, led by Prof. Christoph Keplinger, is working on artificial muscles that mimic nature’s principles of movement. We are designing and fabricating novel artificial muscles, characterizing them for digital simulation models, and integrating them into robots and exosuits. This allows us to study and use them from the perspective of a biological organism, including the implementation of neuro-biological concepts.

We are looking for:

Student Research Assistant (m/f/div) for artificial muscle fabrication and characterization

We are looking for talented students who are pursuing a Master of Science in engineering cybernetics (Kybernetik), biomedical engineering (Medizintechnik), mechanical engineering (Maschinenbau), mechatronics (Mechatronik), material science (Materialwissenschaften), electrical engineering (Elektrotechnik), physics (Physik), or related fields to support our research as student assistants (HiWis) and to shape the future of robotics with us.

Roles & Responsibilities

The student assistant position is paid hourly and will allow the student to gain hands-on experience with hardware systems, as well as to be exposed to ongoing robotics research. The position and tasks can be adjusted to the interest of the candidate. Selected candidates can start working as soon as they are hired.

Possible tasks include:

• Fabrication of film-based soft actuators.
• Characterization of the actuators in experiments.
• Processing of experimental and simulation data.

Education & Experience

Applicants should:

• Have high motivation.
• Be pursuing a master’s degree.
• Be currently enrolled in a German university.
• Want to work in an international and interdisciplinary department.
• Have good oral and written communication skills in English.
• Be able to work on-site at the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, at least for part-time employment.

We are especially interested in applicants who have experience in:

• Engineering drawing (2D CAD) and designing experiments.
• Rapid prototyping techniques (3D CAD, CNC, laser cutting, 3D printing, screen printing).
• Experimental data acquisition and processing (Matlab).
• Process optimization.
• Operating sensor systems.

Our offer:

Students with a bachelor degree will be paid 13.65€ per hour. Working time: up to 20 hours per week. The contract is given per semester.

We offer a modernly equipped workplace, a strongly international working environment, as well as the affiliation to a daycare center for young children.

Application:

Please upload your application including a resumé in English or German and a cover letter in English to our application system.

For further questions please contact Steven Zhang via szhang@is.mpg.de or Adrian Koh via kohsja@is.mpg.de.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in its workforce in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.