The PRIME (Perceptive Reasoning and Intelligent MachinEry) Robotics Lab conducts cutting-edge robotics research at the intersection of robotics, perception, and artificial intelligence. Our vision is to develop innovative robotic systems that can interact with and adapt to their environment in a seamless and intelligent manner. We aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in robotics, enabling robots to operate effectively in complex and dynamic environments.

Research Goal: Our research goal is to design, develop, and deploy advanced robotic systems that can perceive, reason, and act intelligently in real-world settings. Our focus areas include: hybrid soft-rigid robotics, swarm and modular robotics, dexterous manipulation and grasping, multimodal perception and reasoning, and motion planning in high-dimensional space. My current research and publications can be found at https://chaoliu.tech.

PI Bio

Chao Liu is an incoming Assistant Professor at The University of British Columbia (UBC). Currently, he holds a Postdoctoral Associate position at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. degree from the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing, and Perception (GRASP) Lab at the University of Pennsylvania and B.S. degree from Dalian Jiaotong University. His research work has been published in top-tier journals and conferences on robotics and machine learning, including IEEE T-RO, IEEE RA-L, Nature Communications, RSS, ICRA, IROS, NeurIPS, ICLR.

Join Our Team

We are excited to invite talented individuals who are passionate about robotics to join our team at UBC to contribute to the development of next-generation robotic systems! As a member of our team, you will have the opportunity to work on exciting projects, collaborate with top researchers, and contribute to the advancement of the field. We are actively recruiting postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students. We also welcome visiting scholars and students.

To apply, please fill in this form and email us at chaoliu.ubc@gmail.com with Prospective Member in the subject line. For prospective graduate students, please also apply through UBC graduate admissions to MECH Department and indicate my name on your application. We look forward to welcoming you to our team!

About UBC

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of top research universities in North America. Located in beautiful Vancouver, UBC offers a unique blend of academic excellence, innovative research, and stunning natural surroundings. UBC has a strong reputation for robotics and artificial intelligence research, with many faculty members who are world leaders in their fields. Our researchers are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in these exciting areas.

Our team has access to state-of-the-art facilities, including cutting-edge laboratories, hardware platforms, simulation environments, and high-performance computing resources. Vancouver is a thriving hub for robotics and artificial intelligence innovation, with many world-class companies and organizations calling the city home. We collaborate with other top-ranked universities, research institutions, and industry leaders, offering unparalleled opportunities for interdisciplinary research and knowledge sharing.

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number EU-58344 during correspondence about this position.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

About UBC
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver
UBC is home to over 900 postdocs spanning all faculties and units across two campuses and a variety of affiliated hospitals, research centres, and sites, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute in one's own way. UBC's Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) is committed to supporting the lives and career aspirations of our Postdocs, with the goal of enriching their experience at UBC and preparing them for the future. In addition to providing support and advocacy for all postdocs, the PDFO is dedicated to providing professional development opportunities that foster the development of soft skills needed in today's professional environments, helping them secure future careers in their chosen fields.

About UBC's Faculty of Applied Science
The Faculty of Applied Science comprises a unique constellation of disciplines – including the Schools of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Community and Regional Planning and Nursing, as well as all engineering activities at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. Our work and the professional disciplines we represent span the entire human-centred built environment and innovation at all scales – from nanoscale electronic devices that power communications to the design of entire cities.

There has never been a more urgent time for our professions – as planners, architects, nurses and engineers – to come together to build upon our existing strengths and ambitions to ensure a thriving society, to make real impact locally and globally.

With a community of over 300 full-time faculty members and more than 8,600 students across our undergraduate and graduate programs, we shape the leaders and professions that shape the world.

About Vancouver
Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.