title: PhD Position at ESAT/PSI, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

Promoter: Hugo Van hamme

Description: A funded PhD position is vacant at the Centre for
Processing of Speech and Images of K.U.Leuven, Belgium in the context
of the ALADIN project
(http://www.esat.kuleuven.be/psi/spraak/projects/?proj=ALADIN).

The aim of ALADIN is to build a learning and adapting vocal
human-machine interface for controlling home appliances, games and
personal assistants for users with a physical impairment. The
interface should learn what the vocal characteristics of the user are,
which words he/she uses and what he/she means with the spoken
commands. Users can formulate commands in any way they like, using the
words they like and only addressing the functionality they are
interested in. Learning takes place by using the device, i.e., by
mining the vocal commands and the change they provoke in the device.
You will design adaptive learning strategies for acquiring and
maintaining the user's vocabulary and their association to machine
actions. To this end, you will refine modern machine learning
techniques such as sparse coding, non-negative matrix factorization
and spectral clustering. You will work in a multidisciplinary team of
junior and senior researchers in machine learning, speech processing,
signal processing, user interface design and interest groups for
physically impaired users.

Qualifications
Candidates should ideally have a Master or equivalent degree in
engineering or computer science. Candidates with a math or physics
degree and excellent programming skills may apply as well. Previous
experience in speech recognition is not required but knowledge of or
experience in any the following areas form an asset:
* speech recognition and speech modelling
* programming experience in Matlab and Python
* strong mathematical and statistical background


Key words: machine learning, speech recognition, assistive technology

Latest application date: 2011-07-19

Financing: available

Type of Position: scholarship

Source of Funding: IWT

Duration of the Project : 4 years

Research group: Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT)