PhD position: SMART technologies and a VR road construction Site

Universiteit Twente. De plek waar talent zich het best ontplooit. Studenten en medewerkers staan centraal. 3.300 wetenschappers en professionals zorgen samen voor baanbrekend onderzoek, relevante innovatie en inspirerend onderwijs voor meer dan 9.000 studenten. Ondernemerschap zit in onze genen. Op de campus zijn zo'n 100 (student)bedrijven gevestigd. Daarnaast heeft Universiteit Twente al meer dan 700 succesvolle spin-off bedrijfven voortgebracht! Kennispark Twente stimuleert en faciliteert startende ondernemers. Op onze prachtige, groene campus gebeurt echter veel meer. De faciliteiten voor sport en cultuur zijn uniek en met evenementen als 's werelds grootste denktank Create Tomorrow en het grootste studentensportevenement de Batavierenrace is de campus een begrip. De campus inspireert en bruist! Universiteit Twente, de ondernemende universiteit.

De faculteit Construerende Technische Wetenschappen (CTW) is een van de zes faculteiten van de Universiteit Twente met circa 1800 bachelor- en masterstudenten, 300 medewerkers en 150 promovendi. De faculteit verzorgt drie bacheloropleidingen en vijf masteropleidingen op het gebied van Civiele Techniek, Industrieel Ontwerpen en Werktuigbouwkunde. Het onderzoek van de faculteit is gehuisvest in vakgroepen/leerstoelen en de faculteit is actief betrokken bij locale en nationale onderzoeksinstituten. Met industriële partners en onderzoekers in nationaal en internationaal verband worden intensieve relaties onderhouden.

De uitdaging / The challenge

The aim of this project is to provide insights into how to develop multi-player serious gaming (MPSG) environments for the asphalt paving industry. With the development of such MPSG, the project aims at bridging the gap between the practical knowledge of asphalt paving crews and the technical knowledge of those who develop Self Monitoring Adjusting and Reporting Technologies (SMART) to for example monitor the compaction grade of an asphalt mat during paving and rolling operations. To make the project successful we expect the candidate to develop the virtual gaming environment in close collaboration with our industry partners from asphalt paving and SMART technology development industries.

• You will be also be responsible for obtaining a leadership and management role within the  ASphalt PAving Research & innovation (ASPARi - http://www.aspari.nl/) network to ensure a successful completion of the project, both from a practical and a theoretical viewpoint.

• You will be expected to actively get involved in ongoing social interactions with the ASPARi industry member companies.

• You will be responsible for acquiring and applying the necessary technical skills to develop VR MPSG environments prototypes and test these prototypes in practice.

• You are expected to publish research results in academic journals. 

Ons aanbod / Our offer

We offer a contract for four years with an assessment after one year. The extent of this position is a maximum of 40 hours per week (1 fte) according to the Dutch university rules. The monthly salary of a PhD student, in accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU), ranges from EURO 2042 gross in the first year to EURO 2612 gross in the fourth year.

Additionally,  the University of Twente provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and a number of additional benefits. Your main responsibility will be to carry out research, but you will be given the opportunity to acquire some teaching experience as well.

The position is a fully funded 4 year Ph.D. position with an assessment after one year. The candidate will be supervised by Dr T.Hartmann and Professor AG Dorée.

Uw profiel / Your profile

We are looking for highly motivated researchers with an MSc degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Computer Science, or a related topic. We expect that applicants have provable social and leadership competencies. Ideally, you also have a strong background in computer graphics and process simulation modelling. Fluency in English is required. Dutch language skills are highly welcome. We expect that candidates with no or little Dutch language skills are willing to learn Dutch. To support non- Dutch speaking candidates we offer support in the form of language classes. Fluency in Dutch is an important precursor for a meaningful interaction with members of the ASPARi network.