Funded PhD and Postdoc Positions in Mechatronics and Reinforcement Learning in Surgical and Wearable Robots at New York University
The Biomechatronics and Intelligent Robotics Lab (haosu-robotics.github.io) at Tandon School of Engineering of New York University is inviting applications for PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and interns. We seek candidates with expertise in mechatronics, control, reinforcement learning, generative AI, and Vision Language Action (VLA) models, with a focus on applications in wearable and surgical robotics.
We publish in top journals such as Nature, Nature Machine Intelligence, Science Robotics, and IEEE Transactions on Robotics. Our lab is dedicated to translating fundamental discoveries into real-world applications. We also foster opportunities for entrepreneurship and technology transfer. Alumni from our group hold faculty positions in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and work at leading companies including Apple, Amazon Robotics, Siemens, and Boston Dynamics.
PhD students can be admitted in the 2026 fall semester. PhD students will receive tuition scholarships and stipend support. Students are required to have TOEFL (or IELTS or Duolingo). PhD applications should be submitted to the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department at NYU. https://engineering.nyu.edu/admissions/graduate/how-apply PhD applicants should have strong background in one or more areas, including: surgical robots, wearable robots, mechanism/machine design, actuator design, electric motors, motor controllers, embedded systems, electronics, IMU sensors, reinforcement learning, generative models, vision-language-action (VLA) models, diffusion models, world models learned from embodied interaction data for robotics. Applicants should assemble the following into a single PDF file: CV, list of publications, and up to three representative scientific papers. Send applications to su.lab.robotics@gmail.com AND hao.su@nyu.edu.
Postdoctoral fellows should hold a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field, and demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills.
About Biomechatronics lab and New York University
The Biomechatronics Lab is a 1,300 sq. ft. research facility equipped with a state-of-the-art motion capture system, humanoid platforms, legged robots, custom surgical robots, wearable exoskeletons, robotic prostheses, advanced physiological measurement devices, high-performance motors, cameras, IMUs, and other cutting-edge tools. The lab is housed within the NYU Center for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence, a 6,800 sq. ft. interdisciplinary space dedicated to advancing robotics and intelligent systems.
NYU Tandon School of Engineering is internationally recognized for excellence in engineering, computer science, and translational research, providing world-class facilities for robotics, control, and biomedical engineering. NYU has built a strong and growing research cluster in robotics, machine learning, and rehabilitation engineering, fostered through collaborations across multiple disciplines. Located in the heart of New York City, one of the world’s most dynamic technology hubs, NYU is surrounded by leading research centers and the offices of major technology companies including Meta, Google, Amazon, Samsung, IBM, and NVIDIA. This ecosystem provides exceptional opportunities for academic–industry collaboration. In addition, NYU Langone Health, one of the top-ranked medical centers in the United States, offers a strong clinical partnership for translational and human-subject research. The Biomechatronics Lab leverages these resources with advanced robotic and biomedical systems to support cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and technology transfer.
Hao Su, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Lab of Biomechatronics and Intelligent Robotics
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Tandon School of Engineering
New York University, New York, NY, USA
Web: haosu-robotics.github.io