The Department of Industrial Design of the TU/e is offering a fully-funded 2-year position to master graduates leading to the award of an EngD (Engineering Doctorate) degree in Conversational AI in Dementia Care. This position is in the context of the project WECARE (Warm Eindhoven Care Assistance and Responsible Engineering) at Eindhoven Engine. The appointment is for two years starting at the earliest possible date, but latest in August 2024.
Currently, there are 55 million people with dementia worldwide; this is expected to grow to 78 million in 2030 and 138 million in 2050 according to WHO. Additionally, a medical solution is not available and we already have a shortage of care personnel. Technology should and can provide much-needed support for people with dementia and their caregivers; this alleviates pressure on the care system. Our aim is to augment, not replace, human care with technology. Unfortunately, technology is often not designed for the dementia care context, causing failure to adopt the technology properly, frustration and resistance. In our project, warm technology focuses on 1) what people can do, not what they cannot do; 2) non-stigmatizing designs and 3) addressing people’s social and emotional skills, not just cognitive and physical skills. As fundamental research, we apply warm technology principles to interactive agents, e.g., chatbots, companion robots, or other representations of AI, to assist in dementia care (both for people with dementia and their caregivers).
In this project, we believe that interactive agents are powerful storytellers that can contribute to people’s well-being. There is potential for interactive agents (like robots or chatbots) in terms of their appearance, behavior, and identity to assist in dementia care. Combining new developments, such as conversational AI, and a deep understanding of dementia can offer opportunities to design and engineer a diverse array of interactive agents.
The EngD candidate will collaborate closely with the project partners (Tinybots, Philips, SARA robotics, and Fontys) and researchers already working on this topic. The candidate’s specific focus will be on conversational AI within a chatbot or a robot to augment dementia care. Candidates should have a technical background and we welcome mixed academic disciplines (e.g., industrial design, computational linguistics, software engineering, human-computer interaction, computer science, electrical engineering).
Engineering Doctorate Program
The EngD program is for those already with a Master’s degree and looking to develop competences that are related to specific application areas and societal issues. Check out more information here. In our case, the candidate will be embedded in the Expertise Center Dementia and Technology (ECDT), which has a track record of numerous design and technology projects centered on dementia care.
We are looking for a candidate who is:
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:
About us
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.
Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact m.lee@tue.nl and r.g.a.brankaert@tue.nl.
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Application
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The application should include:
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.