Intern or Student Assistant (HiWi) f/m/div

 

The new RoCoCo (Robotic Composites and Compositions) Max Planck Research Group at MPI-IS in Stuttgart focuses on designing, fabricating, modeling, and testing smart and active composite metamaterials to address challenges in minimally invasive medical procedures, sustainable manufacturing, and human-material interaction.

 

About the Project

Jamming is a structural phenomenon that can provide dynamically tunable mechanical behavior for adaptive robotic systems. A jamming structure typically consists of a collection of elements that can move and slide freely with respect to each other. When a pressure gradient (e.g., vacuum) is applied, the coupling between the elements increases, causing the overall structure to behave like a cohesive solid body. This alteration dramatically increases stiffness and damping compared to the unpressurized state. The resulting mechanical behavior can be temporally, spatially, and directionally programmed by modifying the geometry, number, and distribution of the individual elements. The goal of this project is to develop computational tools to optimize the design of jamming structures.

The project is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Gökhan Serhat from KU Leuven, an expert in computational mechanics.

 

Roles & Responsibilities

In this project, the student will create a computational modeling framework to enable the inverse design of jamming structures for robotic applications. Specifically, the task will involve developing a stress-based structural optimization approach to provide the optimal jamming-based design(s) for a given robot component (e.g., finger, leg) with specific morphology and task-specific loading conditions (e.g., bending for grasping, compression under weight). The optimization process will involve multiple objective functions based on robotic tasks, such as maximizing stiffness range or minimizing damping.

 

Education & Experience

Required:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s student in mechanical engineering, physics, material science, engineering cybernetics, biomedical engineering, or related fields.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis (FEA).
• Theoretical background in solid mechanics (e.g., coursework or previous projects in stress analysis, elasticity, continuum mechanics, etc.).
• Applicants must be enrolled at a German university if applying for a student assistant position.

 

Recommended:

• Experience with FEA simulation software (e.g., Abaqus, Ansys, COMSOL).
• Coding experience with MATLAB or Python.
• Background in optimization (e.g., coursework or previous projects involving optimization algorithms).
• Basic experience with computer-aided design (CAD) and/or parametric modeling tools.
• Interest in or exposure to topology optimization methods.

 

Their Offer

• An international, multidisciplinary, and highly motivating working environment.
• Extensive mentoring and supervision from two faculty members with complementary expertise (Buse Aktaş and Gökhan Serhat).
• Access to state-of-the-art lab facilities, including advanced fabrication and testing equipment.

For an internship:

• Students will be paid 2174 EUR (gross) per month for a full-time internship if the internship is voluntary (i.e., not required by the student's study program).

For Student Assistants (HiWis):

• Students without a bachelor’s degree will be paid €13.08 per hour.
• Students with a bachelor’s degree will be paid €13.65 per hour.
• Working time: Up to 20 hours per week.

Candidates interested in gaining experience with computational modeling for complex mechanical systems and contributing to the development of smart, programmable structures for robotics applications are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

 

Application

Applicants should upload the following documents via the application portal:

• A CV/resume.
• A transcript of records from current and previous degrees, including grades.
• A cover letter (written in English, no more than one page) in which the applicant should:
  • Describe their enthusiasm for the project.
  • Highlight relevant experiences that match the skills listed.
  • Explain how their background and interests align with the project’s goals.

For further information about the position, candidates can contact Dr. Buse Aktaş at buse.aktas@is.mpg.de.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and encourages applications from qualified individuals. The society strives for gender equality and diversity. It also aims to increase the number of women and non-binary individuals in underrepresented areas of its workforce and explicitly encourages them to apply.

 

Expected Start Dates and Duration

• Start: As soon as possible.
• HiWi contracts are issued per semester. The candidate should be available for a minimum of 6 months.
• A shorter duration can be discussed for full-time internships.