Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences create a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational and high-impact research and education. Our universities community has its competitive edges in technology, health and society. www.tuni.fi/en

CONVERGENCE of HUMANS and MACHINES project at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences is looking for a Doctoral Researcher to work on the topic of XR in the Wild.

Convergence is the trailblazing doctoral field, aiming at bringing together expertise of natural sciences & engineering (ENG) and social sciences & humanities (SSH) in multidisciplinary union. As many as 16 doctoral research projects are related to the following developments: affective computing, gamification, augmented reality, cybernetics, ubiquitous connectivity, dispersed computing, AI & machine learning, and robotics & machine perception. Each student will be supervised by two leading senior faculty members (and, sometimes, a PostDoc or company/organization representative). The main supervisor and the co-supervisor are from different research fields: ENG and SSH. Check the end of the position description for the supervisory team details.

Join Convergence… And make a change!

* Convergence has 16 funded doctoral positions. The applicant may only apply for up to 3 positions within Convergence. If you are unsure if this (#10) is the correct one – please, check the website with the list of Convergence positions. Make your selection first and only apply the ones that are suitable for your background.

Project background

Convergence is a new research field that brings together academics from Social Sciences & Humanities and Technology & Engineering to train the next generation of Doctoral Expertise and address future challenges and opportunities of multidisciplinary Convergence of Humans and Machines. Convergence is funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.

Convergence is based on the premise that, on the one hand, people are increasingly integrated with technology and our culture and practices are increasingly dictated by information technology. On the other hand, machines are becoming more alive, creative, and dynamic. In other words, human and machine are converging. The project has emerged from the need to redefine and renegotiate the roles of human and machine in society and from the need of cross-disciplinary collaboration understand this rising area. 

Job description

We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher in the areas of Communication Engineering, Speculative Research, Concept Innovation and Algorithm Research and Future Research. 

The doctoral research project will pursue research towards the development and understanding of “XR in the Wild”, specifically in the fields of Radio/wireless technology and XR interfaces and future-oriented investigation of human digitally-mediated environmental experiences.

Successful candidates will pursue a doctoral degree at Tampere University. Full-time doctoral studies are expected to be completed in four years.

An applicant  may only apply for maximum 3 Convergence positions from this list. This position number is 10.

Short description: 

Extended reality (XR) is one of the timely paradigms referring to versatile real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables. In general, such mediascape of future (post)humans includes representative forms of communication and expression such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR), and the areas interpolated among them.

Nowadays, many of these forms necessitate a designated space, or require the active use of specific devices. Issues related to bulkiness, latency and the need for wired connections prevent seamless access to extended realities.

This highlights a clear technical need: in order to achieve a feeling of presence and immersion, the wireless communication system between the user device and the network needs to provide and achieve (i) very low latency and (ii) very high throughput/bandwidth.  Accurate positioning information is additionally needed to enable XR services and experience. XR experience also requires that the user location/pose information is continuous with mobility and is represented with 6 Degrees-of-Freedom (6DoF). A further challenge in the consumer device market is to enable accurate positioning but with potentially low-cost/low complexity positioning methods that would fulfill the XR requirements.

Such a technological development would allow the possibility of using XR “in the Wild” and therefore to augment the human experience in all kinds of indoor and outdoor environments. A new layer of meaningful material will be ready to be experienced through a new generation of devices, drastically changing the way humans perceive and interact with the world around them.

This thesis project aims at exploring these possibilities in two ways:

Firstly, we carry out research related to 5G-Advanced and 6G technology seeking to fulfill the above challenging requirements for high-bandwidth zero-latency wireless communications and continuous low-latency 6DoF location and orientation tracking – all provided by the same radio network. The technical research challenges are related to creating new technology in the form of concepts, algorithms and radio protocols, to meet the objectives of virtually zero-latency while allowing for continuous 6DoF tracking. The research work is multidisciplinary linking the HTI experience and the technical capabilities of the 5G-Advanced and 6G networks.

Secondly, we will use methods from speculative research to explore the potential impact of such technologies on different human environments. In particular, we will focus on urban spaces and on forestry areas and on what effects would “XR in the wild” technologies have on their semiotic properties, their interaction affordances and their human (and non-human) dwellers.

This double approach would allow us, on the one hand, to develop the technology necessary for future innovations, and on the other hand to anticipate its effects and include them in the design.

Tentative Research problems/questions: 

• Development of new XR in the Wild technological component: new radio communication technology for XR and new 6DoF radio positioning and tracking
• Exploring and understanding the impact of XR in the Wild technology on human behavior and interaction with different kinds of environments

Requirements

The applicant needs to have a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Information Technology, or a related field and have demonstrated (during your studies towards the Master’s degree or otherwise) the competence and motivation to pursue postgraduate studies. Please be prepared to provide proof of your merits when requested.

Successful candidates must be pursuing or will be accepted to study towards a doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies (DPHAT). Please visit the admissions webpage https://www.tuni.fi/en/study-with-us/programmes/doctoral-programmes for more information on eligibility requirements. Please, pay special attention to the language requirements.

Preferred applicant’s qualifications:

• Majoring in Communications Engineering field in MSc studies, with background expertise in radio communications.
• Experience with speculative design, future research, product design, sociology of scientific knowledge or media and communications.

Candidates are selected based on the level of promise that they show, and this will be evaluated on the basis of their study and research interest description, their previous success in studies, and merits in writing the doctoral thesis and / or scientific publishing, as well as their background match to the research topic.

Tampere University is a unique, multidisciplinary and boldly forward-looking, evolving community. Our values are openness, diversity, responsibility, courage, critical thinking, erudition building, and learner-centeredness. We hope that you can embrace these values and promote them in your work.

We offer

An applicant  may only apply for maximum 3 Convergence positions from this list. This position number is 10.

The position will be filled for a fixed-term period of maximum four (4) years. The starting date is 1 September 2023 or as mutually agreed. A trial period of six (6) months applies to all our new employees.

The salary will be based on both the job requirements and the employee’s personal performance in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Doctoral Researcher is placed on level 2—4 of the job requirements scale. A typical baseline starting salary for Doctoral Researchers is approximately 2,500 EUR/month.

We are inviting you to be a part of a vibrant, active and truly international research community. We value interdisciplinarity, as it allows you to expand your research network and exposes you to new perspectives and ideas to solve complex research problems and pursue novel research findings. We are strongly committed to the highest level of scientific research and the provision of high-quality doctoral education. 

As a member of staff at Tampere University, you will enjoy a range of competitive benefits, such as occupational health care services, flexible work schedule, versatile research infrastructure, modern teaching facilities and a safe and inviting campus area as well as a personal fund to spend on sports and cultural activities in your free time. Please read more about working at Tampere University. You can also find more information about us and working and living Tampere by watching our video: Tampere Higher Education Community - our academic playground.  

Finland is among the most stable, free and safe countries in the world, based on prominent ratings by various agencies. Tampere is the largest inland city of Finland, and the city is counted among the major academic hubs in the Nordic countries. Tampere region is the most rapidly growing urban area 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 is also surrounded by vivid nature with forests and lakes, providing countless opportunities for easy-to-access outdoor adventures and refreshment throughout the year. 

Read more about Finland and Tampere: 

• Visit Finland
• This is Finland
• Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment: Welcome to Finland
• Visit Tampere

How to apply

To address these rising challenges, Convergence is looking for 16 funded doctoral researchers. Note, the applicant may only apply for 3 positions within Convergence.

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications has been extended to 28 February 2023 (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 (in PDF format) to your application: 

• A letter of motivation and description of your research interests (max. 2 page(s)). Named “Surname_Motivation_Letter.pdf”
  • The selected applicant will have to apply and be admitted to the doctoral programme prior to the start of the work. The student needs to write a more detailed research plan at that stage.
• Curriculum vitae according to the TENK template. Named “Surname_CV.pdf”
• Pdf copy of your MSc and BSc degree certificates, including transcripts of all university records and their English translations (Finnish and Swedish certificates are also accepted). 
  • If you do not have the certificates yet, please, include the letter from your university that provides the expected graduation date as well as your current transcript of records. Named “Surname_Degrees.pdf”
• Certificate of language proficiency “Named “Surname_Lang.pdf”
  • The minimum English language test result requirements: Test name: minimum test result (*The previous CAE and CPE have been renamed as C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency): TOEFL iBT / TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition: 92 overall, with no section below 20; IELTS (academic) / IELTS Indicator: 6.5 overall, with no section below 5.5; PTE (academic): 62 overall, with no section below 54; C1 Advanced*: C; C2 Proficiency*: C1; Finnish National Certificate of Language Proficiency (English): Proficiency level 5
  • Exemptions to the language requirements: It is possible to be exempted from submitting a language test score if you have completed a higher education degree in English in certain countries. If you apply without a valid language test result, carefully examine the exemptions that your studies fulfil the requirements.
• Either 2 Recommendation letters [preferably] OR the contact details of two referees [if the first option is not possible, and with explained reasoning], e.g., your M.Sc. supervisors / employers. Named “Surname_Recommendations.pdf”

For further information, please contact the supervisors:

Professor Mikko Valkama, mikko.valkama@tuni.fi 

Assistant Professor Mattia Thibault, mattia.thibault@tuni.fi 

For general question about Convergence, contact: Coordinator, Dr. Aleksandr Ometov, aleksandr.ometov@tuni.fi

For questions about the doctoral studies enrollment, check DPHAT doctoral programme contacts.

*** [Summary in Finnish]

Tampereen yliopisto ja Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu muodostavat yhdessä Suomen toiseksi suurimman monitieteisen, innostavan ja vaikuttavan tutkimus- ja oppimisyhteisön. Korkeakouluyhteisömme osaamiskärjet ovat tekniikka, terveys ja yhteiskunta. Lue lisää: www.tuni.fi

ITC on käynnistänyt uuden monitieteisen tutkimussuunnan Ihmiset ja teknologiat -tohtoriohjelmaan (DPHAT) sijoittuvan CONVERGENCE – Ihmisen ja koneen konvergenssi -tutkimusalan puitteissa.

Maailma on täyttymässä erilaisista koneista, autonomisista ajoneuvoista, reaaliaikaisista käännöstyökaluista, puettavasta teknologiasta ja muista laitteista, joissa ihmisen ja koneen välinen raja on katoamassa. Ihmisen ja koneen konvergenssi -ohjelman päätavoitteena onkin tutkia tulevaisuutta, jossa tietoa, asiantuntemusta ja taitoja voidaan siirtää reaaliajassa ja jossa tekoälyyn perustuvat toimijat ymmärtävät ja aistivat ihmistä reagoiden tähän ennakoiden ja eettisesti. Kehitys näyttää johtavan modernin ihmisen ja koneiden yhteistoimintaan ja rinnakkaiseloon eli konvergenssiin, joka tuo mukanaan täysin uusia tutkimusongelmia.

Näiden haasteiden ratkaisemiseksi ITC-tiedekunta rekrytoi 16 palkkapaikallista väitöskirjatutkijaa. Jokaista opiskelijaa ohjaa pääohjaaja ja sivuohjaaja, jotka ovat eri aloilta (toinen yhteiskunta- ja humanistisista tieteistä ja toinen tekniikan alalta).

Luodaan uutta eri alueet yhdistävää osaamista yhdessä!

Tehtävänkuvaus

Väitöskirjatutkija (Lisätyn todellisuuden langattomat tekniikat)

Lisätyn todellisuuden (extended reality, XR) hyödyntäminen avaa uusia mahdollisuuksia monissa sovelluksissa, sekä kuluttaja käytössä että eri teollisuuden aloilla. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä tutkitaan ja kehitetään XR laitteisiin liittyvään langatonta tiedonsiirtoa sekä XR laitteen tarkkaa jatkuvaa paikantamista radiosignaalien avulla. Viitekehyksenä on tulevaisuuden 6G mobiiliradioverkko, johon XR laite on langattomasti yhteydessä. Väitöskirjatyön pääpaino on tietoliikennetekniikassa mutta työssä pyritään tarkastelemaan myös XR laitteisiin liittyvää ihmisen käyttökokemusta.

Hakuohjeet ja lisätiedot 

Jätäthän hakemuksesi yliopiston sähköisellä hakulomakkeella (linkki löytyy tämän ilmoituksen alta). Katso tarkemmat ohjeet ja yhteystiedot englanninkielisestä ilmoitukselta. 

Hakuaikaa tehtävään on jatkettu 28.2.2023 klo 23.59 asti.