Postdoctoral Position in the Research Unit for Robophilosophy and Integrative Social Robotics (RISR)

The Research Unit for Robophilosophy and Integrative Social Robotics (RISR), School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for an 18-month postdoctoral position in social/assistive robotics.

The appointment begins on February 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. Place of work will be Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 7, 8000 Aarhus C.

The university sets great store by its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.

Research context

The position is offered in the context of the research project “Enabling Social Interiors: Innovating Design in Assistive Robotics (DARE)”.  DARE is an interdisciplinary project in social (assistive) robotics where Humanities research is fully included: the project combines philosophical expertise (social ontology, social phenomenology, axiology, ethics), anthropological field research, and constructive design research. With focus on assistive robotics for independent living of older adults, the DARE project will investigate the complex interplay between the dynamics of value hierarchies (e.g., autonomy vs. dignity), self-conceptions in aging, and robot appearance. Drawing on these insights and recent design studies of shape-changing objects, we introduce a new design category, “enabling social interiors”, and investigate how it can support positive conceptions of aging. The project is relevant for the physical and kinematic design of social robots in general, since it investigates the contextual relationship between value experience, social cues in robotic movements, and acceptance of robots.

The relationship between ‘design spaces’ and user values currently constitutes an important research gap in assistive robotics.  The DARE project will address this relationship by way of design-centered approach that draws on the unique conceptual and methodological resources of ISR (Integrative Social Robotics), a R&D paradigm for culturally sustainable social robotics as developed at the research unit RISR. (Background information on ISR is provided at the project’s webpage).  DARE will also benefit from close collaborations with the ACUTE project (link) which explores the new design category of artifact inspired robots experimentally.

The position

We are looking for an innovative researcher with a disciplinary specialization in (social/assistive) robotics and, ideally, some experience with collaborations with interaction designers using design methods. The successful applicant will have strong research skills in social robotics: synthetic research, including the building of prototypes, and empirical research (quantitative and qualitative methods).

The applicant is expected to work productively in an interdisciplinary team. Other researchers of the DARE team will determine interactional profiles for value experience and sociality experiences.  The postdoctoral researcher is expected to collaborate with a researcher in interaction design, who will use explore user expectations and contextual values by means of a constructive design approach using design probes and interviews.  The successful applicant shall investigate, supported by the interaction design researcher, which physical and kinematic designs of robotic items can support these interactional profiles, testing them with mockups or partial prototypes.

The successful applicant will work closely with the three lead researchers of the project, Professor Johanna Seibt (RISR, philosophy), Associate Professor Majken Kierkegaard Rasmussen (Digital Design, Interaction Design research program ), and Docent Christina Vestergaard (VIA Research Center for Health and Society, RISR, anthropology).

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