PhD Position Cognitive Guidance in XR to Improve Independent Mobility for People with Disabilities

PhD Position Cognitive Guidance in XR to Improve Independent Mobility for People with Disabilities Are you passionate about human behavior, XR technology, and real societal impact? Join us in studying how people interact with complex environments and empowering individuals with disabilities with XR

Navigating complex public transportation environments is an enormous challenge for many individuals with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities, limiting their independence and participation in society. Recent advances in immersive eXtended Reality (XR) using off-the-shelf head-mounted displays (HMDs), wearable sensing/actuation technologies, cognitive science, and AI offer unique opportunities to create personalized training and assistive systems that can support people with disabilities in developing and applying navigation skills in a safe and personalized manner. However, it is an open question how these technologies should be designed and tailored to the highly diverse, dynamic, and individualized needs of people with disabilities. In this PhD project, you will design and evaluate immersive XR experiences that allow users to safely acquire navigation skills in realistic environments such as public transportation hubs, university campuses, and airports. You will focus on decision making and learning in challenging scenarios such as safely crossing a busy bike path or interacting with a passing vehicle. Specifically, you will investigate how modulated external stimuli (ranging from quiet, empty settings to highly crowded, noisy environments) influence user decision making and motor behavior, and how repeated exposure can modulate these processes over time. You will then develop XR applications that provide real-time guidance through visual, auditory, or haptic feedback in everyday situations. Using wearable devices, machine learning, and cognitive models you will investigate how behavioral, physiological, and cognitive data can be used to inform real-time guidance, personalize training, monitor progress, and adapt support to users' changing needs. This highly interdisciplinary project involves close collaboration with researchers, accessibility organizations, technology developers, and lived experience experts. You will have the opportunity to conduct user studies, develop novel algorithms, build immersive/augmented realities, and validate your solutions in real-world settings. This PhD is ideal for candidates interested in one or more of the following areas: Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) Cognitive Modeling and Decision Making Motor Learning Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Wearable Technologies and sensors Human-Computer Interaction Human Factors Accessibility and Inclusive Design You will join a multidisciplinary consortium of academic, societal, and industry partners working towards one shared goal: enabling more independent, empowering, and accessible mobility for everyone. Are you excited about combining cognitive science, AI, immersive technology, and societal impact? We would love to hear from you.

You are a highly motivated candidate with a MSc degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, , Rehabilitation Engineering, Industrial Design, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field. Further, you have: Open-mindedness and strong motivation to embark on interdisciplinary research Solid programming skills Experience with experimental research involving human participants Interest or background in cognitive modeling, human decision-making, or behavioral data analysis Ability to take initiative and work independently Affinity with teaching and supervising students Proficiency in verbal and written English Candidates with a strong track record in VR/AR/MR development (for example, Unity or Unreal Engine), cognitive and movement sciences, AI and machine learning, human factors, or a combination of the above are especially encouraged to apply. In addition, experience with one or more of the following topics is considered a plus: accessibility and inclusive design, motor learning, decision making, user experience research.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3204 - €4051 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service , offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference. For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future. At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.