Job: Vacancy in Tangible Interfaces for Therapy at TU/e

The Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) has the following vacancy:

“End-User Development of Tangible Interfaces for Therapy” at the Department of Industrial Design.

Vacancy reference number: V51.076

The department of Industrial Design of the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e), founded in 2001, is a rapidly growing department with over 550 students, both Bachelor and Master, and around 200 staff members. With a strong emphasis on research the ID department focuses on the design of intelligent products, systems, services and networks. These innovative products enable people to interact with their environment in an optimal and flexible way. The TU/e ID engineer, who has developed a wide range of competencies during his /her education, is capable of integrating technology, user aspects, design and business /marketing insights. This MSc programme is practice-oriented, capable of dealing with, and aware of, relevant issues as formulated by industry and society at large. Ambient Intelligence and Ambient (health) Care draw special attention within the TU/e and ID particular, and is an important research and application field. ID encompasses four areas: Technology covered by the Designed Intelligence (DI) group; User aspects, covered by User-Centred Engineering (UCE) group; Design, covered by the Designing Quality in Interaction (DQI) group; and Business, covered by the Business Process Design (BPD) group.

TASKS

This vacancy concerns the design, development and validation of an end-user development environment for tangible interfaces that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of therapists. The PhD student will be placed in the User Centred Engineering Group, Department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology. The student will spend up to 24 months in placements at industry participating in the project.

The project will follow a user centred design approach in which therapists will be involved in all stages. Particularly interesting for this project is to enable the operation of a community of innovation in which therapists and technology providers can pool resources and capabilities. The project will have a strong focus on validation of the concepts through field studies especially with a view to developing generalizable knowledge about how to structure and facilitate this type of co-development process.

REQUIREMENTS

– A Masters in Computer Science, ideally in an area related to human-computer interaction.
– Affinity with the topics of end-user programming, graphical user interfaces, open/evolutionary development processes, or technology based rehabilitation are valued.
– Also valued is prior experience of user testing.

APPOINTMENT AND SALARY

The appointment is for 4 years. As an employee of the university you will receive a competitive salary as well as excellent employment conditions (including excellent sports facilities and child care). The research in this project must be concluded with writing a PhD thesis. A salary is offered starting at EUR 2,042 per month (gross) in the first year and increasing up to EUR 2,492 per month (gross) in the last year. Moreover 8% bonus share (holiday supplement) and 8.3% bonus share (end-of-the-year allowance) are provided annually. Assistance in finding accommodation is available.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

TU/e is one of Europe’s leading research universities. The Eindhoven area, in the southern part of the Netherlands, is one of Europe’s top ‘innovation ecosystems’, with many high-tech companies and institutes, such as Philips, ASML, NXP, DAF, OCE, and TNO. TU/e is closely intertwined with many of these companies and institutes, and research at TU/e is characterized by a combination of academic excellence and industrial relevance. Culturally, the Netherlands is a very interesting part of Europe. Historic cities such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Maastricht, Brussels, and Antwerp are all within easy reach from Eindhoven. PhD students at TU/e are appointed as temporary staff members. They receive a full salary and are exempted from payment of tuition fees.

ABOUT THE UCE RESEARCH GROUP

The User Centered Engineering (UCE) research group studies human aspects of the interaction between people and intelligent systems, e.g., privacy, trust, persuasion, fun, aesthetics of the user experience, with the aim to create societal value by designing systems that match people’s needs, abilities and desires. UCE researchers have diverse backgrounds in computer science, engineering, psychology and design. UCE research focuses on two (broad) classes of intelligent systems: * Awareness systems that support sustained interaction between individuals or groups and that aim to allow people to build up and maintain with little effort an understanding of the activities of each other. In this way, awareness systems can, for example, support coordination, social presence, connectedness, and persuasion.

* Systems that support Co-located Mediated Interaction, i.e., systems that support people who are in the same location to interact with each other and with physical artefacts, to work, play, or socialize.

FURTHER INFORMATION

* Further information about the project, including a full project description, can be obtained from Dr. Panos Markopoulos, Dept of Industrial Design, phone +31 (0)40 247 5247, please mail: P dot Markopoulos at tue dot nl
* General information about the organization and the hiring process can be requested from Ms. Julma Braat, personnel department, Dept of Industrial Design, phone +31 (0)40 247 5883, e-mail: j.a.c.l.braat(at)tue.nl .

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are due by December 15 2009. Please send a written application or email, including a letter explaining your specific interest in the project and extensive curriculum vitae, to the following address:

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Department of Industrial Design
Attn. Ms. JA.C.L. Braat, room HG 3.93
P.O. Box 513
5600 MB Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Or by e-mail to: j.a.c.l.braat(at)tue.nl

Please include vacancy code V51.076

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