IDLab is a research group of Ghent University, as well as core research group of imec. IDLab performs fundamental and applied research on data science and internet technology, and is structured in 21 research teams. The research for this position will be conducted within the DECIDE research team.
DECIDE conducts cutting-edge research on Distributed and Embodied Computing in Dynamic Environments. The team works to realize a vision where humans and robots cooperate seamlessly, enabled by advanced planning and control algorithms, real-time and energy-efficient sensing, and distributed perception. Its research is applied across diverse sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and remote sensing.
DECIDE is currently seeking bright and highly motivated candidates to join its team. The current position is for a PhD research and education assistant (“Assistant Academic Staff”).
As robotic systems increasingly enter unstructured, dynamic environments—from manufacturing lines and logistics centers to hospitals and homes—the ability of multiple robots to autonomously cooperate becomes critical. Traditional multi-robot systems often rely on centralized controllers, pre-programmed sequences, or tightly synchronized schedules. However, in real-world scenarios where robots are developed by different vendors, operate under partial observability, or are dynamically added or removed from the workspace, centralized coordination becomes a bottleneck. This motivates a shift toward decentralized cooperation between autonomous robots, each with its own controller, sensors, and objectives. These individual objectives might be fully aligned, or mixed-motived.
This research aims to investigate fundamental mechanisms for real-time, task-driven cooperation between independently controlled robots. Example use cases include: (1) two stationary arms working along a moving conveyor belt, where they must pick or manipulate objects while avoiding collisions, delays, or redundant actions; and (2) a pair of mobile robots, one carrying a container and the other equipped with a manipulator, which must coordinate to transfer and store items through dynamic, spatial cooperation. These settings exemplify the challenges of distributed decision-making, perception sharing, and coordination under uncertainty.
Unlike traditional collaborative robotics, which often treats robot arms as passive tools controlled by a central planner or treats cooperation in a master-slave paradigm, we focus on peer-to-peer robotic collaboration, where each robot makes autonomous decisions while negotiating and adapting to the behavior of others. This paradigm mirrors recent trends in multi-agent reinforcement learning and distributed AI, but focuses on high-precision tasks involving physical interaction in shared workspaces.
In this position, you spend 50% of your time on research and 50% of your time on supporting the academic education, specifically in courses that are part of the curriculum of Master of Science in Information Engineering Technology. Conditional on a yearly positive evaluation, the fully funded position extends up to 6 years.
Your main tasks include:
We are looking for a highly creative and motivated PhD student with the following qualifications and skills:
We offer the opportunity to do this research in an international and stimulating environment. The research will be conducted at the premises of IDLab, located in Ghent.
Ghent University consistently ranks among the best 100 universities in the world. Located in the heart of Europe, Ghent is a beautiful and welcoming city with plenty of cultural and leisure activities.
The selected candidate will be offered a 6-year employment, conditional on positive outcomes of yearly intermediate evaluations. The salary is competitive and will be determined by the university salary scales. In addition, staff members can count on a number of benefits, such as a broad range of training and educational opportunities, 36 days of vacation leave, bicycle allowance, eco vouchers, and more.
Apply through the UGent job website.
However, before formally applying, candidates are strongly encouraged to contact Prof. Pieter Simoens (pieter.simoens@ugent.be) to discuss research responsibilities, and Prof. Veerle Ongenae (Veerle.ongenae@ugent.be) to discuss teaching assistance responsibilities.
Application deadline: July 1st, 2025 (firm)
