The PRISMA Lab at the University of Naples Federico II is seeking to recruit a postdoctoral research fellow that will have a key research role in the following areas: Legged Robotics and Nonprehensile Manipulation.
The successful candidate will conduct her/his research at the PRISMA Lab on the STAR 2018 project WELDON on the theme of "Walking Robots: A Connection Between Legged Robots and Nonprehensile Manipulation."
The ambitious goal of the WELDON project is to establish a connection between multi-contact dynamic, energy efficient walking, and nonprehensile manipulation. WELDON is aimed at enhancing the autonomy of bipedal robots, such as humanoids, for future application to manufacturing, service robotics, and healthcare domain.
We are seeking a highly motivated scientist with a background and Ph.D. in automatic control and/or robotics, preferably with at least two years of experience abroad, and a well-established publication record among these respective areas:

• Legged robotics
• Piecewise-smooth, hybrid and impacting dynamic systems
• Dynamic nonprehensile manipulation
• Stabilization of periodic systems
• Robotic manipulation

Strong competencies in C/C++ programming, MATLAB and MATHEMATICA software are essential.
Qualified potential applicants holding a Ph.D. degree should provide the following material:

• Cover letter briefly describing their background and career plans
• CV
• Link to the personal research website
• List of publications
• Date of availability
• Names and contact information of at least two references

All documents should be submitted via email as a single compressed/PDF file to Fabio Ruggiero, Ph.D. [email] with the subject: POSTDOC CANDIDATE (WELDON).

University of Naples Federico II is the third oldest university in Italy and the oldest public university in Europe. The School of Engineering, with a population of 11,000 students, is the oldest in Italy and recently celebrated its second centennial since the foundation by King Gioacchino Murat in 1811. The PRISMA team, coordinated by Prof. Bruno Siciliano, operates in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, where since almost 30 years is researching in robotics. Current interests include force control, visual servoing, dual-arm/hand manipulation, human-robot interaction, aerial robotics, surgical robotics, and legged robotics. The team has gained worldwide recognition and is currently engaged in six projects supported by the European Community. See www.prisma.unina.it for further information.

Naples is the third largest city in Italy and is the capital of the Campania region. World-known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music, and gastronomy, Naples is a lively, exciting and bustling city situated on the southwest coast in a gorgeous gulf, and is surrounded by attractive tourist and archaeological sites such as Capri, Ischia, Amalfi Coast, Pompei, Ercolano, Mount Vesuvius.

The position is available immediately, it is full time, and it will be paid according to the current Italian scheme. Salary will be determined depending on the level of experience and research seniority of the individual candidate. The duration of the contract is one year, but it can be extended until February 2021.