The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) conducts research to advance intelligent systems that perceive, learn, and interact. Through fundamental research across computational, physical, and social dimensions, we shape artificial intelligence and robotics to advance knowledge and benefit society.

The Haptic Intelligence Department, the Neuromechanics of Movement Group, and the Organizational Leadership and Diversity Group at the institute’s Stuttgart site are looking for a

Student Assistant (HiWi) m/f/div

to support our collaborative research project on the biomechanics and perception of walking in different shoes.

About the project

This project is aimed at understanding of how people walk in different types of shoes and how others judge walking styles based on specific criteria. We have designed a research study to investigate these two topics. Study participants will be asked to walk in two different pairs of shoes (high heels and comfortable flat shoes) while we collect kinematic, kinetic, and muscle-activation data using motion-capture systems, an instrumented treadmill, and surface electromyography (EMG) sensors. We will separately ask a group of observers to watch short videos of people walking and rate specific walking characteristics. This study provides an opportunity to reshape the conversation around heel-wearing and its broader implications, connecting biomechanical findings to meaningful real-world contexts.

Roles & Responsibilities

The student assistant will support various phases of the study. Core responsibilities may include:

Possible tasks include:

Assisting with motion-camera setup and study preparations
Helping run walking trials in the lab, including placing reflective markers and EMG sensors on participants
Supporting survey administration and observer testing sessions
Assisting with participant recruitment, consenting, and debriefing
Organizing qualitative responses and observational ratings for later analysis
Annotating and organizing motion-capture and EMG data

The concrete position and tasks are subject to discussion with interested candidates. Selected candidates can start working as soon as they are hired.

Education & Experience

We are looking for a talented student pursuing a bachelor’s or master's degree in human-centered engineering design, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, applied statistics, physiology, or related fields.

Applicants should

Have high motivation
Have good oral and written communication skills in English; German language skills would be helpful but are not required
Be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree
Be currently enrolled at a university in Germany
Want to work in an international and interdisciplinary research environment
Be able to work on-site at the Max Planck Institute for intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany

We are especially interested in applicants who have

Experience with wearable sensors (e.g., motion capture, EMG)
Experience in participating in or conducting human-subject experiments
Experience with eye-tracking systems
Interest in human movement
Interest in and/or experience with the topics of diversity and inclusion

Our offer:

Student assistants without a bachelor degree will be paid €13.80 per hour. Student assistants with a bachelor degree will be paid €14.40 per hour. Working time up to 20 hours per week in lecture period, and up to 39 hours per week in lecture-free period.

Application:

To apply, please submit a résumé, a short motivation letter describing why you are interested in this position, and optionally other documentation to demonstrate your background. Please prepare these documents in English and upload them as one PDF file to our application portal.

If you have questions about this job opportunity, please email Dr. Vani Hiremath Sundaram at vsun@is.mpg.de.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in its workforce in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

Closing date for applications:

The posting is open until filled.