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Plenoptic Imaging (PLENOPTIMA) is a four-year (2021–2024) H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network that develops a cross-disciplinary approach to plenoptic imaging, which includes new optical materials and sensing principles, signal processing methods, new computing architectures, and vision science modelling. With this aim, PLENOPTIMA joins five of the strongest research groups in nanophotonics, imaging and machine learning in Europe with twelve innovative companies, research institutes, and a pre-competitive business ecosystem developing and marketing plenoptic imaging devices and services.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Tampere University offers 4 positions for early-stage researchers (ESRs). An ESR job position requires conducting research on an individual project at a doctoral student level and studying toward completing a doctoral degree.  We are looking for candidates who have a suitable background and motivation to work on highly innovative projects and be trained in competitive yet collaborative research and study environment. All 4 ESRs founded by the project will be working on specified projects and will be registered in Joint or Double degree doctoral programmes at academic institutions in Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden as described below.

ESR 1: Perceptual modeling and optimization of computational light field displays

Objectives: Develop a rigorous computational model describing how the human visual system perceives light fields generated by the next-generation immersive light field displays. The model should incorporate all relevant perceptual thresholds and depth cues as well as display characteristics. Utilize the developed model to quantify perceivable light field for the given light field display and viewing conditions (i.e. gaze, accommodation etc.). Investigate novel light field display designs with novel optical filters that complement digital reconstruction and rendering to reduce the computational cost of the light field reconstruction stage.

Expected Results: Rigorous computational model of light field perception incorporating display, light transport and HVS models, which will serve as a tool for perceptual quality assessment of 3D visual media (in areas such as computer graphics, compression and display design, etc.). Perceptually optimized 3D display utilizing accelerated light field rendering (software) and novel optical filters (hardware), which are end-to-end optimized based on the developed computational light field perception model.

Planned secondments: Secondments to other network partners for up to 11 months have been planned. The secondments include developing novel optical filters and conducting experiments for validation of developed rendering algorithms on CREAL near-eye light field displays.

Joint PhD degree with Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

ESR2: Wavefront coding for computational plenoptic cameras

Objectives: Develop novel computational light field and snapshot hyperspectral cameras aimed at sensing high (spatial, angular and/or spectral) resolution images, employing deep/machine learning based optimisation (inverse imaging) framework and newly designed wavefront-coding optical elements based on metamaterials. Study and identify the metasurfaces suitable for computational light field imaging, quantify their pros and cons, and experimentally demonstrate the developed imaging systems incorporating newly designed metasurface elements.

Expected results: A general framework for designing computational plenoptic cameras employing metaoptics, which is demonstrated for specific applications, hyperspectral imaging, and aimed at different important application areas, such as mobile cameras, light field microscopy, sensing in challenging environments. 

Planned secondments: Secondments to other network partners for up to 11 months have been planned. The secondments include designing of computational elements of the novel plenoptic cameras and investigating practical concerns related to fabrication and prototyping of metasurfaces.

Double PhD degree with Université de Rennes.

ESR3: Noise modeling and denoising in heterogeneous point clouds 

Objectives: Develop models of the positional errors in point clouds, i.e. the positional noise, and design and implement effective estimators of the model parameters from a given noisy point-cloud. Develop procedures to regularize/filter (e.g., denoising) or otherwise process the point cloud, capable of easily leverage the models to support their operations. Model parameters can be provided externally from the estimators, or estimated internally by the processing procedures (e.g., semiblind/blind denoising).

Expected Results: Positional noise models for point cloud data, which include heteroskedasticity, anisotropy of the error distribution, as well as spatial correlation of the errors.

Planned secondments: Secondments to other network partners for up to 11 months have been planned. The secondments include investigating suitable model parameters and feasible optimization constraints that lead to noise reduction and application of developed denoising technique to point clouds reconstructed from a multi-view camera setup.

Joint PhD degree with Technische Universität Berlin.

ESR4: Real-time view interpolation with distributed heterogeneous computing

Objectives: Develop a novel view-interpolation algorithm pipeline that produces pleasing visual quality and is suitable for scalable distributed implementation on a heterogeneous computer cluster. Build proof-of-concept demonstrators using state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf heterogeneous devices running on multiple servers connected with fast low latency local network. The primary focus is on real-time delivery of the interpolated frames with the computational complexity downscaled by shrinking the frame size and rate dynamically.

Expected Results: Algorithms and their proof-of-concept distributed heterogeneous implementations on various heterogeneous (CPU + m * n * GPU) platforms. A prototype performing view interpolation utilizing the developed algorithms and demonstrating the capability of the algorithms to scale with the availability of local and remote computational resources.

Planned secondments: Secondments to other network partners for up to 11 months have been planned. The secondments include implementation and testing of distributed algorithms on separate computers and necessary protocols, as well as evaluation of developed algorithms in practical setting.

Double PhD degree with Mittuniversitetet (Mid Sweden University).

The research will be supported by an extensive training program consisting of training schools, workshops, and webinars.

Mobility between network partners is supported by research visits and secondments. In this way, the employed researchers will be integrated in the network with the aim to help them to interact with their fellows and within different research, development and innovation environments.

REQUIREMENTS

• We are looking for talented, creative and highly motivated researchers.
• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in the fields of electrical engineering, communications engineering, physics, optics and photonics, information technology, computer science, or a closely related field, completed with good grades.
• The positions include transnational mobility (i.e. moving from one country to another)
• Applicants shall, at the time of recruitment by the host organization, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree. Full-time equivalent research experience is measured from the date when a researcher obtained the degree that would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate.
• H2020 MSCA Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organization, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.

WE OFFER

We offer highly innovative training that will help you to build a solid fundamental of the area and will put you in an extremely good position in your future career endeavours in a rapidly growing sector.

The salary will be set in accordance with MSCA ESR rates.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits, such as occupational health care, flexible working hours, excellent sports facilities on campus and several restaurants and cafés on campus with staff discounts. Please read more about working at Tampere University.

Tampere is one of the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries and offers a dynamic living environment. Tampere region is one of the three most rapidly growing urban areas in Finland and home to a vibrant knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial community. The city is an industrial powerhouse that enjoys a rich cultural scene and a reputation as a centre of Finland’s information society. Tampere hosts the Tampere Imaging Ecosystem, one of the top 5 imaging clusters worldwide. For more information on Tampere and Finland, please visit:

• https://visittampere.fi/en/
• https://www.visitfinland.com/
• https://www.infofinland.fi/en/frontpage

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 15 December 2020 (23:59 EET / UTC+2). Please write your application and all the accompanying documentation in English and attach them in PDF format.

Please attach only the following documents to your application: 

• A letter of motivation (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae according to the TENK template  and including a list of publications and the contact details of two referees
• Copy of your MSc+BSc degree certificates including transcripts of all university records and their English translations (Finnish certificates are accepted) and Diploma Supplement

For more information, please contact:

Prof Atanas Gotchev, ESR1  ( https://research.tuni.fi/3dmedia/ )
atanas.gotchev@tuni.fi 

Assoc. Prof. Humeyra Caglayan, ESR2  ( https://research.tuni.fi/metaplasmonics/ )
humeyra.caglayan@tuni.fi 

Prof. Alessandro Foi, ESR3  ( http://www.cs.tut.fi/~foi )
alessandro.foi@tuni.fi 

Assistant Prof. Pekka Jääskeläinen, ESR4  ( https://tuni.fi/cpc )
pekka.jaaskelainen@tuni.fi

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Tampereen yliopistossa on haettavana neljä väitöskirjatutkijan (Early Stage Reseracher, ESR) paikkaa.

Tehtävät edellyttävät tutkimuksen tekemistä ja opintoja kohti tohtorin tutkinnon suorittamista. Etsimme ehdokkaita, joilla on sopiva tausta ja motivaatio työskennellä korkealuokkaisten innovatiivisten projektien parissa. Kaikki neljä väitöskirjatutkijaa (ESR) työskentelevät tiettyjen hankkeiden parissa ja rekisteröidään yhteis- tai kaksoistutkinto-tohtoriohjelmiin Bulgarian, Suomen, Ranskan, Saksan ja Ruotsin akateemisissa instituutioissa.

HAKUOHJEET

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