Postdoc in Application of eXtended Reality for Inclusive Automated Vehicle and Road User Interaction

Design the next generation of inclusive interactions between automated vehicles and vulnerable road users using Virtual Reality and eXtended Reality.

Job description

Automated Vehicles (AVs) are set to transform road travel, promising significant improvements in road safety, accessibility, and transportation equity. However, as autonomous vehicles move closer to widespread deployment, a critical question remains largely unanswered: how can AVs interact safely and effectively with vulnerable road users (VRUs), including people with disabilities?

Such interactions involve complex human decision-making processes that span behavioral, cognitive, psychological, and physiological dimensions. To date, these dimensions have largely been studied in isolation, leaving their interconnections and their role in real-world AV–VRU interactions poorly understood.

In this Postdoc position you will focus on employing Virtual Reality technologies to better understand this complex interaction process and explore how external Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMIs) can enable safer and more inclusive interactions.

You will:

• Develop a theoretical framework for identifying key characteristics of AV–VRU interactions and define design criteria for inclusive eHMIs.
• Develop accessible VR simulators for people with disabilities.
• Conduct VR experiments to collect data and model decision-making processes in AV–VRU interactions.
• Conduct real-world testing to evaluate the effectiveness of inclusive eHMI design.
• Collaborate with fellow researchers, mentor PhD students, and contribute to ongoing projects and the development of the lab.
• Publish in high-impact scientific journals and disseminate findings through conferences and stakeholder workshops.

Your home base will be the Mobility in eXtended Reality Lab in the Department of Transport & Planning within the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. Our diverse team of researchers, project managers, and professors shares the ambition to create smart, sustainable, and equitable mobility systems. In our 12 collaborative labs we apply advanced technologies such as sensing, data analytics, modelling, and AI to turn scientific research into real-world impact. You’ll join an open, supportive environment that fosters learning and professional growth.

Job requirements

• Hold a PhD degree in a relevant field (e.g., Transportation, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline).
• Solid background in XR technologies and skills in developing XR applications using Unity/Unreal game engine.
• Strong and demonstrable experimental skills, including experiment design, setup, execution, and data collection.
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Strong analytic and programming skills (e.g., Python, C#) with proficiency in statistics.
• Ability to work independently while actively contributing to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English.
• Strong publication record in relevant scientific journals.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Working at TU Delft

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means joining an international community of professionals and students.

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation, and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 3 years. Temporary.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.
• If you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job, TU Delft is committed to making your move as smooth as possible. The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information and events to help you prepare your relocation, settle in the Netherlands, and expand your social network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.