[Contiki-developers] 1 PhD and 1 Postdoc position in "Low-power Networking and Localization with Ultra-wideband (UWB)" at Univ. of Trento, Italy

[Timofei I. <tim...@un...>]

Applications are invited from those interested in pursuing a PhD or a
postdoc in computer science in the research group of Prof. Gian Pietro
Picco, at the University of Trento, Italy.

=== CONTEXT

Ultra-wideband (UWB) radios are rapidly gaining popularity, as they
can estimate distance (ranging) with great accuracy (<10cm
error). This enables countless applications based on proximity and
localization, even in GPS-denied environments like indoor. Major
vendors like Apple and Samsung have already equipped their latest
smartphone models with UWB, which is expected to become as commonplace
as WiFi and BLE.

=== AIM AND SCOPE

The candidates will explore research themes at the intersection of
networking and localization. These include novel schemes to
efficiently coordinate and harmonize the two in a single protocol
stack, but also novel techniques that improve the two dimensions
separately. Particular emphasis will be given to techniques exploiting
concurrent transmissions.

The activities carried out can be characterized as "systems
research". Novel ideas and contributions are embodied in prototypes
concretely demonstrating feasibility and improvements over the state
of the art. Typical performance metrics include energy efficiency,
ranging/positioning accuracy, reliability, and scalability
w.r.t. users and sample rate. Analytical models are used to
characterize the performance of prototypes, which is then evaluated
experimentally in realistic setups.  In this respect, the group offers
unique assets, including a 130-node (~8000sqm) indoor UWB testbed and
two accurate (mm-level) optical facilities.

=== CANDIDATE PROFILE

A good candidate has:

1. knowledge about low-power wireless communications (e.g.,
   IEEE802.15.4, LoRa, BLE);
2. hands-on experience with networked embedded systems programming
   (e.g., ContikiOS, myNewt, Zephyr), possibly including in-field
   deployment;
3. (ideal but not necessary) knowledge and experience of UWB concepts
   and systems (e.g., Decawave transceivers);
4. fluent written and spoken English, the language of the research group;
5. the ability to work collaboratively in a team with both senior and
   junior people, as well as external project collaborators;
6. strong passion and commitment to research.

Postdoc candidates are additionally expected to show an established
research record, including publications in major conferences and
journals in research fields related with the topics above.

=== PHD POSITION: TERMS AND PROCEDURE

PhD students receive a monthly salary via a scholarship that includes
additional benefits (e.g., personal funds, accommodation,
etc.). Details are available here:
https://ict.unitn.it/prospective-student/benefits-services

The candidate must fill an application to the public call that will
soon be published on the website of the Doctoral School
(http://ict.unitn.it). Admission to the PhD program occurs via a
selection, performed by the School, based on the evaluation of the
candidate’s titles and qualifications. The candidate must hold a
Master's degree or equivalent by October 31, 2021.

The PhD will formally begin on November 1st, although an earlier
arrival (funded by a pre-phd scholarship) can be arranged.

=== POSTDOC POSITION: TERMS AND PROCEDURE

The monthly salary ranges from 2000 to 2400 EUR (_net_ income), depending on
the candidate seniority and qualifications.

The contract is for a minimum of one year, and is renewable
yearly. A longer duration of the first contract can be negotiated.

The position is available immediately and will remain open until filled.

=== INQUIRIES AND CONTACT PERSON

Candidates interested in either position should contact directly
Prof. Gian Pietro Picco and provide a curriculum vitae including three
references in PDF format.

Prof. Gian Pietro Picco
Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI)
University of Trento
via Sommarive 9, I-38123 Povo, Trento (TN), Italy
E-mail: gia...@un...
Web: http://disi.unitn.it/~picco

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=== RESEARCH TEAM

The research team has a long-standing track record in the general
field of low-power wireless systems and networks. Topics span the
entire application stack, including middleware and programming
abstractions, networking protocols, ranging and localization schemes,
in-field deployment issues. The high quality of the research output is
witnessed by several best paper and other scientific awards.

The research team favors a mix of curiosity-driven and
application-driven research. New PhD students are also invited to
participate in ongoing funded projects, to gain experience and
insights from real systems and use cases, and identify novel and
challenging problems whose solution breaks new ground. Examples of
past and ongoing projects involving UWB include: asset tracking for
logistics, monitoring people trajectories, drone-based localization,
social contact tracing, and rover navigation in planetary exploration.

Candidates are encouraged to look at the publications of prof. Picco
(see link above) to get an idea of the type of research
performed. Recent publications on UWB include several top venues
(EWSN'18, IPSN'19, SECON'19, IROS'19, IPIN'19, EWSN'20, SenSys'20, ACM
TOSN).

=== WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI)
is a leading and fast-growing research institution, characterized by a
young and international faculty and by a large, international student
population.  Indicators for scientific production place the department
among the top in Europe. The Department and PhD school closely
collaborate with, and operate in, a rapidly growing research and
innovation environment characterized by top-class research centers and
an increasing number of industrial research labs, including the
Italian co-location center of the European Institute of Innovation and
Technology (EIT). More information at the websites of DISI
(http://disi.unitn.it) and its Doctoral School (http://ict.unitn.it)

=== LOCATION

Trento is a beautiful city of ~120,000 people, located ~130km south of
the border between Italy and Austria. It has a well-preserved historic
center and is consistently ranked among the top cities in Italy for
quality of life. Further, it is the ideal starting point for day trips
to famous towns like Venice and Verona, or to the many natural
attractions nearby. Trentino, the wider territory surrounding Trento,
is well-known for its many beautiful mountains and lakes, and offers a
variety of cultural and sports opportunities all year round, as well
as excellent food. More information at https://www.visittrentino.info/en