Postdoctoral Researcher – Tactile Sensing for Dexterous Manipulation

About the role

The Soft Robotics Lab at the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, is offering a fixed-term postdoctoral position in an industry-funded research collaboration. The aim is to develop compact, durable tactile sensors for dexterous robotic hands so that they can manipulate reliably even where vision falls short in unstructured, real-world settings. The position is based in Zurich.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design, fabrication and characterization of compact tactile sensing modules that give multi-axis force information and fit within a human hand form factor
• Survey and benchmark different tactile sensing modalities and select the best-suited approaches
• Integrate the sensors into an existing tendon-driven robotic hand platform, optimizing readout electronics and packaging
• Design bench- and task-level benchmarks and demonstrate closed-loop tactile behaviors for real-time manipulation control
• Co-supervise PhD and master's students, drive the work end to end, and publish in top robotics venues

Required profile

• Completed PhD in robotics, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, electrical engineering or a closely related field
• Published track record of hands-on hardware research, designing, fabricating and experimentally validating sensing or actuation systems
• Expertise in at least one sensing modality (tactile, force or optical) and comfort across electronics, mechanical design, fabrication and signal processing
• Publications in leading robotics venues showing technical depth and real-world validation
• Experience mentoring or co-supervising students; strong written and spoken English
• Background in tactile sensing or dexterous manipulation is a plus

What we offer

• Leadership of a component of an active industry research collaboration
• Public transport season tickets, car sharing, sports, childcare and pension benefits
• A multidisciplinary team, a world-class lab and state-of-the-art fabrication facilities

Applications close on 30 November 2026 and must be submitted online as a single PDF containing a cover letter, CV with publications, transcripts, three references and representative published work.