Research Engineer FUSION

Summary

The FUSION project, funded by the Normandy Region and the government under the France 2030 Plan, aims to democratize robotics by making mission design accessible through XR and digital twins. Current robotic programming often relies on proprietary software, limiting flexibility; FUSION addresses this with open-source frameworks like NEURONES. The project has already demonstrated successful remote robot control via XR at ORANO La Hague, utilizing robots from Conscience Robotics.

The current work focuses on developing new XR interfaces for intuitive robot programming and teleoperation, integrating sensor data (cameras, LiDAR) and robotic capabilities into the NEURONES framework. This includes developing features, documenting progress, supervising student work, and contributing to scientific publications, with testing conducted on the CESI Rouen Industry 5.0 platform and in situ at ORANO La Hague.

Context

This work is being carried out as part of the FUSION project (Framework for Universal Software Integration in Open Robotics), funded by the Normandy Region and the government under the France 2030 Plan.

The boom in robotics and its applications has led robot manufacturers to develop their own programming software to equip their machines with intelligent capabilities. However, these programming environments have certain limitations: they are very often proprietary and therefore do not provide open access to the lower levels of programming. To address these constraints, robotic middleware emerged in the early 2000s. The concept is simple: robotic middleware is a software layer that can be installed on an existing operating system (such as Linux or Windows), which natively contains generic tools and libraries to facilitate the programming of robots’ intelligent capabilities (Sahni, Cao and Jiang, 2019). Despite these middleware solutions, programming robotic missions remains largely inaccessible to the uninitiated. It is within this context that the FUSION project is positioned, with its main objective being to democratise the use of robotics, notably through the introduction of XR for the design of robotic missions via the digital twin.

The FUSION project has enabled the implementation of several demonstrations at ORANO La Hague, involving robots from the company Conscience that are integrated with XR technology to allow an operator to control them remotely:

·        The development of VR interfaces enabling the creation of missions using a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach.

·        The development of an AR interface enabling the viewing and editing of missions.

·        Integration of interactions with the digital robot (digital twin) or the physical robot for the validation and execution of the mission in VR.

In the context of the project, and as part of its research focus on digital twins, virtual reality and robotics, the CESI LINEACT laboratory is continuing research into human-system interfaces that enable the development of business procedures, training content and robotic missions in virtual reality (Richard et al., 2021; Havard et al., 2023).

Job description

The FUSION project is continuing to develop digital twins in XR to facilitate the definition of robotic missions, building on existing frameworks such as INTERVALES and NEURONES. The aim is to develop new XR interfaces for the remote operation and intuitive programming of robots, even for users who are not programmers. The developments will be integrated into NEURONES and tested on the Industry 5.0 platform at the CESI Rouen campus, in collaboration with CONSCIENCE ROBOTICS and ASSYSTEM.

The main responsibilities of this role are summarised as follows :

1.      To familiarise oneself with the laboratory’s existing work and that carried out in collaboration with the FUSION project partners;

2.      Adapt the development architecture to suit the project’s constraints ;

3.      Specify the functionalities to be implemented for the rendering of robotic capabilities (vision via robotic sensors such as cameras, 360° cameras and LiDAR; potential interaction with the robot) and XR interactions with robotic agents via the digital twin ;

4.      Manage and organise development in consultation with Conscience Robotics ;

5.      Develop and integrate features based on use cases defined in the laboratory and for industrial demonstrations ;

6.      Document developments ;

7.      Supervise the work placements associated with the project to ensure the implementation of the defined features.

8.      Contribute to the drafting of scientific deliverables and publications relating to this work.

Presentation of the laboratory

CESI LINEACT (UR 7527), Digital Innovation Laboratory for Businesses and Learning at the service of Territorial Competitiveness, anticipates and accompanies technological changes in sectors and services related to industry and construction. The historical proximity of CESI to companies is a determining factor for our research activities and has led us to concentrate efforts on applied research close to the company and in partnership with them. A human-centred approach coupled with the use of technologies, as well as territorial networking and links with training, have made it possible to build transversal research; it puts the human being, its needs and uses, the centre of its problems and approaches the technological angle through these contributions.

Its research is organized in two interdisciplinary scientific teams and two application fields.

• Team 1 "Learning and Innovation" is mainly responsible for the Cognitive Sciences, Social Sciences and Management Sciences, Training Sciences and Techniques and Innovation. The main scientific objectives are to understand the effects of the environment, and more particularly situations instrumentalized by technical objects (platforms, prototyping workshops, immersive systems...) on learning processes, creativity and innovation.

• The team 2 "Engineering and Digital Tools" is mainly responsible for Digital Sciences and Engineering. The main scientific objectives are modelling, simulation, optimization and analysis of cyber-physical systems data. Research work also covers related decision-support tools and the study of human-systems interactions, particularly through digital twins coupled to virtual or augmented environments.

These two teams develop and cross-link their research in the two application areas of Future Industry and City of the Future, supported by research platforms. The one in Rouen is dedicated to the Factory of the Future and those of Nanterre dedicated to the Factory and the Building of the Future.

Your skills :

Scientific and technical skills:

• Skills in object-oriented programming,

• Skills in Unity – C#, particularly with experience in virtual or augmented reality.

• Knowledge of robotics, particularly ROS, would be an advantage.

Interpersonal skills:

• be self-reliant, show initiative and curiosity,

• be able to work well in a team and have good interpersonal skills,

• be thorough

Vacancy on the Rouen campus

Desired start date: As soon as possible

12-month fixed-term contract

Executive status – working hours: annual fixed-rate package of 210 working days

Benefits:

• Gross annual salary paid over 13 months

• 6 weeks’ paid holiday and 14 days’ RTT per year

• Meal vouchers with a face value of €10, with the employer contributing €6.

• Company health insurance covered at 90%

• Profit-sharing and incentive schemes in place within the company