Postdoctoral Research Associate - Embodied AI Lab Automation: Vision-Guided Real Time Robotic Manipulation

Brookhaven National Laboratory's National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop an automated protein crystal harvesting system at the Center for BioMolecular Structure (CBMS).

The successful candidate will develop vision-guided robotic manipulation capabilities for detecting, tracking, and harvesting fragile micron-scale protein crystals suspended in liquid droplets. Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of crystallographers, beamline scientists, controls engineers, mechanical engineers, and data scientists, the candidate will help integrate computer vision, machine learning, and robotic manipulation into an automated crystal harvesting platform.

This is a hands-on role centered on building and deploying closed-loop perception, visual servoing, and robotic control systems in a real laboratory environment. The position offers the opportunity to advance machine vision, robotic manipulation, and embodied AI techniques while addressing a scientifically impactful problem in structural biology.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement vision-guided real-time robotic manipulation methods for crystal harvesting

• Design and deploy closed-loop perception and control pipelines using visual feedback

• Contribute to vision-based servoing approaches for precise, real-time positioning

• Integrate perception outputs with motion planning and execution using ROS2 and MoveIt2

• Perform system calibration (e.g., hand-eye calibration, camera calibration) to ensure accurate 3D spatial alignment

• Evaluate and improve system robustness, including perception uncertainty and failure modes

• Collaborate closely with domain experts across crystallography, controls, and engineering

• Participate in system testing, tuning, and performance evaluation

• Document methods and results; contribute to reports, publications, and presentations

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related field

• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing robotics systems.

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++

• Knowledge of robotic systems:

  • Robot kinematics and coordinate transformations

  • Motion planning and trajectory generation.

  • Calibration methods

• Proven track record in disseminating scientific results in the form of publications, or conference presentations.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience developing robotic systems that integrate vision-guided control in real-world settings

• Experience working with ROS2-based ecosystems

• Experience with camera calibration, hand-eye calibration, and coordinate frame registration

• Experience integrating machine learning models into robotics

• Familiarity with:

  • Micro-Manipulation

  • Sensor fusion or state estimation

  • Real-time system debugging and performance tuning

What Success Looks Like:

• Development of a system capable of reliably detecting and localizing protein crystals

• Implementation of closed-loop robotic manipulation using visual feedback

• Improved robustness and reliability of the crystal harvesting process under real-world conditions

Additional Information:

• This is an on-site position based at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.

• This position is a 2-year term, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availability

Other Information:

• Candidates should submit a brief cover letter outlining how their experience and career goals are suitable for the position

• Candidates must have completed all degree requirements by the commencement of employment

• BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in and R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness or other life-changing events.

• Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $ $71,900-$119,000 / year. You will be placed at the level and salary commensurate with your experience. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group

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