EngD position on Child-XR Interaction

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

The Department of Industrial Design conducts research on and education in the design of systems with emerging technologies in a social context. We excel at integrating various academic disciplines, including engineering, design, business, and social sciences.

Introduction

We seek talented and motivated candidates who hold a masters in an area related to human-computer interaction. We offer a fully funded 2-year position leading to the award of an EngD (Engineering Doctorate) degree. The appointment is for two years starting in September 2025.

Job Description

Researchers and the wider public are concerned by the extent to which children are immersed in on-screen applications and content, which can be detrimental to their development and social interactions. With the emergence and increasing penetration of eXtended Reality (XR) technology, this trend will grow worse, further isolating children from their physical and social surroundings, increasing a sedentary lifestyle with consequent health and developmental risks. In order that society and industry can mitigate these risks and develop developmentally appropriate technologies for children, we are exploring ways in which games, interactive content can be delivered through XR with minimal use of the visual sense. This requires a range of new considerations regarding interactivity, ethics, and the children’s user experience.

The project will study screenless child-computer interfaces for eXtended Reality (XR) applications. Starting from game applications that do not rely on screens, we shall identify opportunities, bottlenecks that compromise the user experience, and design natural forms of interaction that allow children to engage with their full senses in the physical and social world in their direct environment as well as information content superimposed on the real world. 

 The project involves designing outdoor games that encourage physical and social interaction between children of different ages in the range of 6-12. The candidate is expected to design and develop these games and conduct systematic empirical studies to develop guidelines for the design of screenless XR interaction for children. The candidate will work in close collaboration with researchers in partner institutes in Norway and the US.  

Engineering Doctorate Program

The EngD program in Human-System Interaction trains professionals who already have a Master’s degree in design or engineering to develop competencies in designing and evaluating interactive, intelligent and innovative systems, services, and products. The HSI program is based on design thinking and system thinking, as well as scientifically founded and methodologically sound user-centered and data-driven approaches, paying special attention to the frontier of the complex systems enabled by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and their impact on individuals, organizations and society. Candidates will spend about half of their time in courses and the rest on the research project. Program participants have backgrounds in the engineering, behavioral and physical sciences and work in small interdisciplinary teams, together with other EngD, PhD, and Master students with different national and cultural backgrounds.

Job Requirements

• A relevant Master degree, in an area related to the fields of Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Interaction Design.
• Experience/familiarity with developing interactive applications and prototypes.
• Experience/familiarity with user-centered design, user studies, behavioral research.
• Excellent social and communicative competencies, including sufficient proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and comprehension of English.

Conditions of Employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an international setting with a close relationship to industry. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for two years.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale TOIO (€ 2,872).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• To support you during your EngD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will have free access to a personal development program for EngD trainees.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Panos Markopoulos ([email protected]) or Jun Hu ([email protected]).

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HR Services ID ([email protected]).

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include:

• a well-motivated application.
• an extensive curriculum vitae.
• translated certificates certified by your University.
• certified lists of marks.
• two letters of recommendation.
• a copy of the passport.
• a passport photograph.
• the address of the website of the university and department awarding the certificate.
• IELTS test results, or other equivalent evidence of English level. See https://www.tue.nl/en/education/become-a-tue-student/admission-and-enrollment/language-proficiency-requirements/ for more information.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.