PhD Opening: Wearable Robotics & Reinforcement Learning for Assistance and Rehabilitation

The Wearable Robotic Systems Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) is seeking a motivated PhD student to start in August 2026.

Our campus is located directly across the Hudson River from Midtown Manhattan, providing a vibrant academic setting with immediate access to the New York City research and tech ecosystem.

This role focuses on the development of a powered ankle exoskeleton and AI-driven controllers capable of real-time adaptation to individual walking performance. Our goal is to advance personalized robotic assistance and gait rehabilitation.

Key Responsibilities

• Advance the mechatronic design of an existing powered ankle exoskeleton.
• Develop and implement novel reinforcement learning-based control strategies.
• Conduct human-subject testing with healthy adults and individuals with musculoskeletal or neurological gait impairments.
• Work closely with clinical partners at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, a top-ranked rehabilitation center in the U.S.

Financial Support

• Full tuition support
• Competitive PhD stipend/salary
• Funding for conference travel

Qualifications

• Minimum: BSc and MSc in Mechanical, Electrical, or Biomedical Engineering (or a related field) with a strong foundation in robotics and control.
• Preferred: Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink, SolidWorks, C , and/or Python. Experience in motor control, signal processing, or the biomechanics of human locomotion is highly desirable.

How to Apply

Please email the following as a single PDF to damiano.zanotto@stevens.edu

1.   one-page cover letter
2.   Brief CV
3.   BSc and MSc transcripts

Timeline

  •  Start Date: August 2026

  •  Full Consideration Deadline: May 8, 2026

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