Research assistant to develop and validate the Delft Automated Agriculture Testbed (DAAT)

Job description 

Precision horticulture for protected systems (e.g., greenhouses, vertical farms) has great potential to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of agriculture by optimizing climate control actions (e.g., adjusting temperature, humidity) and crop management (e.g. robotic pruning, harvesting) automatically and intelligently in

response to the current state of the plant. Researchers at TU Delft are currently working to develop the next generation of control algorithms and robotics for precision horitculture. To provide a realistic prototyping environment and establish proof-of-concept for these technologies, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with the Hortus Botanicus and Robohouse are developing the Delft Automated Agriculture Testbed (DAAT) to test these advanced algorithms and robotics in a small-scale greenhouse.

Job requirements

We are therefore seeking a motivated individual with experience in high-tech greenhouses, biosystems engineering, or other relevant engineering experience to help configure this greenhouse environment and experimentally test these advanced algorithms and robotic systems. This individual will be responsible for configuring and testing relevant sensors, climate control hardware, and robotics in the DAAT. The individual, in collaboration with Masters and PhD students, will then implement advanced climate control and robotics systems in the DAAT. In particular, the goal of this project is to conduct novel studies on the effects of combining intelligent climate control and autonomous crop managed systems. 

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 6 months Temporary
• A job of 36-40 hours per week. 
• A salary based on Schaal 10 of the CAO for Dutch Universities with a salary between €3345 - €5278 gross per month based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.  
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP. 
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year. 
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages. 
• Flexible working week. 
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget. 
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses. 
• Partially paid parental leave 
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program. 

Additional information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Koty McAllister, via r.d.mcallister@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 22 Dec 2024 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter

You can address your application to Koty McAllister.

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Giedo Kocken, HR advisor, recruitment-me@tudelft.nl.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.