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This role sits within ABB's Robotics business, a leading global robotics company. We're entering an exciting new chapter as we’ve announced the plan for SoftBank Group to acquire ABB Robotics. SoftBank is a globally recognized technology group and investor/operator focused on AI, robotics, and next-generation computing. By joining us now, you’ll be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of robotics—working alongside world-class experts in a fast-moving, innovation-driven environment.
This Position reports to:
R&D Team LeadDetails
- Number of credits: 30 ECTS
- Number of students: 2
- Location: Hydrovägen 10, Västerås
- Period: January - June 2026
Your role and responsibilities
Within the Advanced Mechatronics & Motion Control department, focusing on motion control of ABB's robot portfolio, we have formulated a number of project themes that we would like to explore through several master thesis projects.
The three themes we are considering are:
- Robot interface for efficient use in external control applications
- Mobile manipulator control
- Supervision and diagnosis
It is possible that the themes intersect in one project, but it is also possible that a project we decide to perform during spring only touches one of the themes and extends into another area not mentioned in the list above.
Some more details related to the themes:
In the industrial robotics area, robots have traditionally been programmed using proprietary languages with limited flexibility in terms of external control. In the academic and research community, ROS and streaming-based control have been the go-to solutions, creating flexibility but also limiting scalability since the control needs to be realized outside the industrial controller. Within this theme, we would like to investigate how it would be possible to reach an intermediate abstraction level—higher than the streaming level but lower than the proprietary language level—where it is possible to realize many (or most) of the tasks related to manipulation and interaction control that are considered difficult to realize in today's solutions.
Within the mobility theme, there are several areas that can be investigated. The control solutions, including full-body control with all degrees of freedom, are important, but there are other aspects that can be considered. With mobility comes wireless communication, and this could enable new architectures considering the control, communication, and compute integration. What kinds of limitations in terms of energy, bandwidth, compute, and safety can impact the overall system-level performance when going mobile with a fleet of mobile robots?
In the last theme, we consider the general supervision and diagnosis that can be done based on models available for the parts of the system, for example, to verify if dynamic parameters are correctly configured. Dynamic parameters of interest include arm loads, payload, gravity vector, friction coefficients, etc. Classic methods based on physical models and statistics can be used in combination with black-box ML and AI data-driven approaches. In general, the goal is to provide services to help make it easier to commission and operate fleets of robots, utilizing data and knowledge from the design as well as from actual usage and field data.
More about us
You are welcome to apply with your CV, academic transcripts, and a cover letter in English the latest by November 21. Please note that selection will be done on an ongoing basis, and the position may be filled before the last day of application.
Join us. Be part of the team where progress happens, industries transform, and your work shapes the world. Run What Runs the World.
A Future Opportunity
Please note that this position is part of our talent pipeline and not an active job opening at this time. By applying, you express your interest in future career opportunities with ABB.
We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to learn more about us and see the impact of our work across the globe.
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What We Do
ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
