Working Student - User Interfaces for (Space) Robot Teleoperation
What to expect:
At DLR‑RM we investigate and develop user interfaces that enable the teleoperation of robots in space. A notable example is the Surface Avatar project, where we collaborated with ESA to create a graphical user interface (GUI) that allowed astronauts aboard the ISS to command a heterogeneous team of robots on different levels of autonomy. The autonomy levels ranged from direct teleoperation using input devices like a joystick to supervised autonomy task-level commands, which enabled the robot to perform short autonomous sequences while the astronaut remained in control. We now seek a working student to help evolve this commanding approach - integrating it into diverse platforms such as mixed‑reality devices, adding new sensor streams, and maintaining existing interfaces. Tasks will be tailored to your interests and experience. This position can also serve as an ideal preparation of a master’s thesis with us.
Tasks:
Depending on previous practical experience and interest, possible tasks are:
- Further development and maintenance of an existing mixed‑reality UI built in Unity for robot teleoperation.
- Exploration of the WebXR framework and comparison with Unity.
- Design and implementation of a web‑based GUI featuring 3D visualization, and evaluation against the mixed‑reality approach.
- Comparison of data‑transmission protocols (e.g., WebSockets, ROS, gstreamer) between the user interface and the robot.
- Creation of a pipeline for integrating diverse sensor data (RGB camera streams, point clouds, etc.) into the interfaces.
What we expect from you:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong interest in robotics and human–robot interaction.
- Practical experience developing user interfaces for robots, ideally in teleoperation.
- Advanced programming skills in at least one of: Python, C#, C++, or JavaScript.
- Familiarity with at least one of the following technologies/frameworks: Unity, WebXR, Qt, Vue.js / React, ROS, WebSockets, or gstreamer.
- Fluency in English.
For application, first make contact (see below) to indicate your interest. We will then contact you to please send us a resume and transcript of grades as well as a description of relevant practical projects.
Further information:
Starting date: Approximately three months after application Duration of contract: six to nine months
We look forward to exploring the future of space robot teleoperation together with you!