We are recruiting a student at LCFC (Metz, France) for a PhD in the ANR Mandolin project on the topic “Simulation-based Shaping of Deformable Objects in Collaborative Robotic Applications”. More information is given below and in the attached proposal.
Scientific context
Deformable objects are ubiquitous in industrial and household applications. However, it is still difficult for robot manipulators to handle them properly. The robots are generally not aware of the deformation physics at play, so they cannot control the shape or ensure the object’s integrity at all times. This limitation gave rise to the field of deformable object manipulation, which seeks to improve the robot’s ability to manipulate soft objects. Some promising solutions consist in leveraging fast mechanical simulations as an internal model for a motion controller. This strategy was also adopted in robotized medical surgery for instance.
Challenges
• Formulate control algorithms that take advantage of the interactive simulation, to improve the controller’s performance;
• Perform online deformation state estimation and controller adaptation, to mitigate the mismatch between simulated and perceived quantities;
• Define collaboration modalities in the shaping task, to investigate multi-robot and human-robot applications.
How to apply
Send before April 24, 2026 your application as an email to adrien.koessler@univ-lorraine.fr, with the exact title ”Mandolin PhD application {your name}”. You must provide:
• Your CV (1 page max);
• A cover letter (1 page max), mentioning two referees and their contacts (eg. your Master’s and your internship’s supervisor);
• The transcript of your master’s grades (at least the last 3 semesters).