Location: Barcelona, Spain (Expected start: 2027)
Academic partner: Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (IRI, CSIC-UPC)
Duration: 4 years (Industrial PhD – subject to funding approval through the Spanish Industrial Doctorates programme)

About Us: ABLE Human Motion develops next-generation robotic exoskeletons to improve gait rehabilitation for people with neurological impairments. The ABLE Exoskeleton is a CE-marked medical device already deployed in rehabilitation hospitals across Europe, providing a unique opportunity to develop and validate cutting-edge robotics algorithms on a real clinical product.

Research project
We are seeking an outstanding PhD candidate to develop the next generation of intelligent control algorithms for lower-limb robotic exoskeletons using Reinforcement Learning.

The project will be carried out jointly between ABLE Human Motion and the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (IRI CSIC-UPC), one of Europe's leading robotics research institutes.





The objective is to develop adaptive locomotion and navigation algorithms capable of operating safely in both structured clinical environments and unstructured real-world settings.

Research topics include:
Reinforcement Learning for locomotion control
Safe Reinforcement Learning for physical human-robot interaction
Sim-to-real transfer
Human intention detection
Adaptive gait assistance
Robot navigation and obstacle avoidance
Biomechanical modelling of human-exoskeleton interaction

The developed algorithms will be validated both in simulation and on commercial robotic exoskeletons with real users.

Candidate profile
We are looking for highly motivated candidates with:
MSc in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Control Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related fields
Strong programming skills (Python and C++)
Experience with Reinforcement Learning or Machine Learning
Robotics background, especially in motion control techniques such as optimal control or mot

📌 Industrial PhD Position – Reinforcement Learning for Wearable Robotics (Barcelona)
🏢 Able Human Motion
📍 Barcelona