Post-doctoral position in human perception and haptics

Offer Description

A 2-year post-doctoral position in human perception and haptics is open at ISIR (www.isir.upmc.fr), Sorbonne University, in the center of Paris, under the supervision of Sinan Haliyo, Gilles Bailly & Malika Auvray (www.isir.upmc.fr).

The position is funded by the European Eurostars programme, as part of the HAPSEAT project (Haptic Seating for Wellbeing). The aim of the research to be conducted is to empirically validate the conditions of efficacy and safety of a haptic seating platform delivering multipoint vibrotactile stimulation, intended to support wellbeing across aviation, automotive, office, and healthcare settings.

In particular, the postdoctoral researcher will design and run controlled studies with human participants combining behavioural measures (e.g., psychometric scales, efficiency), physiological measures (e.g., heart-rate, electrodermal activity), body-pressure mapping, and subjective reports. Many scientific questions arise from this research programme, including the placement and tuning of tactile vibrators across body types, the psychophysical thresholds and perceptual mapping of vibrotactile patterns, the safe exposure limits for long-duration use, and the measurable effect of haptic routines on stress, relaxation and focus. All these questions will constitute advances toward turning a promising haptic prototype into a scientifically validated, certifiable wellbeing product.

This post-doctoral project is part of a broader European consortium of five partners: Innovobot Labs (coordinator), Nanomade, Ohmnum, Go Touch VR, and SU-ISIR (S. Haliyo, G. Bailly, M. Auvray). The aim of the consortium is to bring the Haptic Seating for Wellbeing platform from prototype to industrial maturity, combining sensing, haptic middleware, content design, and scientific validation.

Working environment. The applicant will join the team ACIDE (https://www.isir.upmc.fr/teams/acide/?lang=en) at ISIR, a broad group of researchers interested in embedded action, cognition, interaction and decision. The Sorbonne-University Campus (https://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en) is a world-class multidisciplinary University where the applicant will benefit from possibilities of training in a broad range of disciplines (human factors, biomechanics, statistics, signal processing) and numerous possibilities to interact with the industrial partners of the consortium.

Qualifications and skills. Ph.D. in Experimental or Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Psychophysics, or a related field. The applicant will undertake important responsibility for carrying out all aspects of the research project including study design, ethics submissions, data collection, statistical analysis, writing publications and validation dossiers.

Application process. The position is currently open, we welcome applications as of now, until filled, preferably before January 2027. The start date is expected to be between December 2026 and February 2027 (with flexibility). The salary ranges between 2900 and 3400 gross (depending on previous experience) per month. The interested candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of research interest, and the names and contact details of two references to Sinan Haliyo & Malika Auvray (sinan.haliyo@sorbonne-universite.fr & malika.auvray@sorbonne-universite.fr).

Where to apply

E-mail: sinan.haliyo@sorbonne-universite.fr

Requirements

• Research Field: Technology » Interface technology
• Education Level: PhD or equivalent
• Research Field: Psychological sciences » Cognitive science
• Education Level: PhD or equivalent
• Skills/Qualifications: Ph.D. in Experimental or Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Psychophysics, or a related field. The applicant will undertake important responsibility for carrying out all aspects of the research project including study design, ethics submissions, data collection, statistical analysis, writing publications and validation dossiers.
• Research Field: Psychological sciences » Cognitive science; Technology » Interface technology; Engineering » Biomedical engineering

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: ISIR - Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique
• Country: France
• City: Paris
• Postal Code: 75005
• Street: 4, Place Jussieu

Contact

• City: Paris
• Website: https://isir.upmc.fr
• Street: 4 pl Jussieu
• Postal Code: 75005
• E-Mail: sinan.haliyo@sorbonne-universite.fr; malika.auvray@sorbonne-universite.fr