**PhD Scholarship - Natural Interaction Strategies for Long-Term Robot Use for Elderly Care**:
**Job No.**:672833
**Location**: Clayton campus
**Employment Type**: Full-time
**Duration**: 3.5-year fixed-term appointment
- **Be inspired, every day**:
- **Drive your own learning at one of the world's top 80 universities**:
- **Take your career in exciting, rewarding directions**
**About the project**
As the world's population ages, many individuals encounter unique challenges tied to cognitive decline, highlighting the need for a more personalized and diverse approach to older adult care. There is growing evidence showing that social robots can improve care delivery at older adult care facilities and reduce behavioural symptoms such as apathy and social isolation. However, for robots to be successfully implemented in these environments, they need to behave verbally and non-verbally in appropriate and acceptable ways to older residents.
In collaboration with our industry partner, creator of companion robots that positively impact people's lives, in this exciting project, you will investigate and develop novel algorithms for closed-loop (i.e., the algorithm can dynamically alter the robot's behaviour in real-time interaction) generation of non-verbal behaviours of a social robot designed to interact with older adults. You will also conduct user studies in the lab and older adult care centres to validate and assess the influence of the improved robot communication capabilities on user engagement and perceived empathy, warmth, and friendliness.
**The ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Optimal Ageing**and Monash University**
Monash University is a member of Australia's Group of Eight coalition, and is internationally recognized for excellence in research and teaching as one of the world's top 80 universities. Embedded in an ecosystem of health, academia and industry, it delivers the research outcomes, skilled workforce, technology and partnerships to improve human health locally and globally.
**Supervisory team**
You will be co-supervised by Dr Pamela Carreno-Medrano
research.monash.edu/en/persons/pamela-carreno-medrano (primary supervisor)
and Professor Dana Kulic
research.monash.edu/en/persons/dana-kulic (secondary supervisor).
**Eligibility Requirements**
- Undergraduate honours degree or Master's by research degree in a relevant discipline (Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering or others related to the PhD topic)
- Excellent programming and/or robotics background, with a keen interest in human-robot interaction
- Prior knowledge of robotics and machine learning (e.g., relevant courses, research experience) would be an advantage
- IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each component
**How to apply**
- A cover letter describing your research interests and why you would like to undertake a PhD (maximum one page)
- A CV including qualifications, academic achievements, list of publications, work history and references
- A copy of your academic transcript(s)
**Supporting a diverse workforce