Job description
Technical ArtistLocation: London
Length: 6 months
Rate: £21-23 p/h
Hours: 9am – 6pm
Our client has built a unique culture and work environment where long-term ambitious research can flourish. Our special interdisciplinary team combines the best techniques from deep learning, reinforcement learning and systems neuroscience to build general-purpose learning algorithms. We are looking for a CS-savvy Technical Artist to work in our Robotics team and support our research projects and tasks to advance robotics research.
Responsibilities:
As a Technical Artist in the Robotics team, you will play a key role in enabling our ongoing research goals through the design, simulation and manufacturing of 3D objects and props for our robots to interact with. You will leverage your expertise in 3D modelling tools and knowledge of physics simulation to create models and scenes to closely match the conditions and behaviours of the real world. And you will help optimise the design of physical objects and models to make sure they can be accurately represented in simulations.
- Manipulate existing 3D models and meshes both programmatically and using ad hoc software (Blender, MeshLab, 3D studio, MeshMixer) so they are better suited for simulation. Many robots come with very detailed CAD models that, while accurate, are not well-suited to simulation. Such manipulations often include reduction of vertex count and decomposition into convex parts.
- Design and manufacture (with 3D printing or traditional manufacturing processes) various 3D objects for our robots to interact with. These would be designed with CAD software and then often printed with 3D printers. The code for generating these objects will often be procedural, for example, generating gears with the dimensions and number of teeth as input arguments.
- Modify rendering parameters of simulated scenes: we often want to render a simulated scene such that it looks as similar as possible to what a real camera would capture. This could involve changes to lighting, colours, textures, and simulated camera parameters.
- Help in the creation of insightful visual representations for debugging and publication. An example could be coupling the colours of simulated objects with the forces being applied to them (from real or simulated sensors), in a way that helps clarify what is happening.
Skill/Experience/Education:
- Technical Art: Education and experience in creating and manipulating 2D and (especially) 3D assets.
- Coding experience: Python (2+ years) 3D Modelling (working knowledge of at least one of the following): Blender, Rhino, 3DS Max, Maya, CAD Software (working knowledge of at least one of the following package)
- OnShape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360 Basic understanding of physics simulation software.
