The Imagine team at ECL has been developing cutting edge research in AI and Robotics with the aim to endow robots with human-like vision, learning intelligence and dexterity. Within this PhD thesis, the following research questions will be investigated in interactions with the Learn-Real, Chiron and Aristotle projects :

• simulation of deformable objects, e.g., oranges, along with their physical properties (elasticity, plasticity, friction)

• simulation of the dynamics of a given deformable object under contact, i.e., when a force is applied to the deformable object

• simulation of different deformable objects through a realistic variation range for each physical parameter

• effective robot control policy learning using simulated data

• simulations to real world transfer strategies in robot perception and control 

This PhD thesis is fully research oriented within the framework of a transnational research project, namely Aristotle,  in collaboration with the group by Prof.Jan Peters at Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany. The PhD candidate is expected to actively take part in dissemination of the research results, the search of research funding and supervision of interns and collaboration with other Postdoc and PhD students.