PhD Candidate in Robotics and Intelligent Mechatronic Systems for Automated In Vitro Platforms

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About the position

Are you motivated to develop next-generation research infrastructure at the intersection of robotics, mechatronics, sensor systems, and life science technology?

We have a vacancy for a PhD Candidate at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, NTNU, connected to the industrial research project vitro.scale in collaboration with Vitroscope AS and SINTEF. The project aims to develop an automated high-throughput platform for physiologically relevant cell research by combining robotics, microfluidics, advanced sensors, cloud-connected software, and artificial intelligence.

The successful candidate will become part of a multidisciplinary environment with expertise in product development, robotics, automation, digitalization, and biomedical technologies. The PhD will contribute directly to the development of technologies that may accelerate drug discovery, personalized medicine, and the transition toward advanced animal-free testing methods.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The PhD position is funded through the Research Council of Norway Innovation Project vitro.scale, led by Vitroscope AS in collaboration with SINTEF and NTNU. The project aims to develop an AI-enabled automated platform capable of operating and monitoring 96 parallel cell-culture experiments under precisely controlled environmental conditions. The system integrates robotics, automated sample handling, sensor networks, imaging systems, cloud computing, and machine-learning-based analytics.

The research work at NTNU will focus particularly on automation, robotics, mechatronic design, sensor integration, and intelligent experimental systems required for scalable operation of the platform.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education leading to a PhD degree
• Conduct high-quality research within robotics, mechatronics, and product development
• Design, prototype, and experimentally validate robotic and mechatronic systems for automated handling, positioning, and monitoring of biological experiments
• Develop integrated hardware-software solutions combining sensors, actuators, control systems, and cloud-based data acquisition
• Contribute to the development of real-time monitoring and automated decision-support systems
• Publish results in international scientific journals and conferences
• Participate in national and international research activities
• Contribute to teaching and supervision activities in relevant courses
• Collaborate closely with industrial and research partners

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme ,see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Engineering Cybernetics, Product Development, Industrial Design Engineering, or a closely related discipline.. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• Experience in at least two of the following areas:
  • Robotics and automation
  • Mechatronics and embedded systems
  • Experience with sensor integration, calibration, experimental measurement systems, and automated data acquisition
  • Mechanical design and prototyping
  • Experience designing, prototyping, assembling, and validating mechatronic systems.
  • Experimental methods and testing
  • Programming and software development, specificallywith Python-based engineering software development and hardware interfacing.
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Demonstrated ability to independent