Mechanical/Mechatronics Development Engineer
Level of qualifications required : Graduate degree or equivalent
Fonction : Temporary scientific engineer
Level of experience : From 3 to 5 years
About the research centre or Inria department
The Inria Centre at the University of Rennes is one of Inria’s nine centres and is home to more than thirty research teams. It is a major and well-recognized player in the field of digital science. The centre is at the heart of a rich ecosystem of R&D and innovation, involving highly innovative SMEs, large industrial groups, competitiveness clusters, research and higher education institutions, excellence laboratories, and a technological research institute.
Context
Inria is recruiting a mechatronics development engineer on a 12-month fixed-term contract to join a consortium and assist the Bionico project team in developing a mechatronic hand for prosthetic use.
Job and department description :
The Bionico project consortium is made up of a group of players from different sectors (research centres, secondary schools, companies, self-employed entrepreneurs, fablabs, etc.) whose aim is to invent technical aid solutions to improve the quality of life of people with upper limb amputations (e.g. adaptations for sport, cooking, etc.). Amputees are involved in the R&D process and the solutions are disseminated for the common good. Among these inventions is a myoelectric prosthesis controlled by muscle electrodes. Two copies of this prosthesis exist and are used by one person. It is currently being reproduced at a partner university in Manchester.
The technology is based on several components:
* Kinematics: the hand must be anthropomorphic, with organic shapes that resemble a real hand as closely as possible.
* Motorisation: the system currently consists of a DC motor with two gearboxes (epicycloidal + flat) to achieve high speed and clamping force performance.
* Mechanics: This part is based on innovative variable reduction and irreversibility mechanisms, giving the hand increased torque when gripping and holding the object in position without having to power the motor.
* Electronics: Ensures precise management of EMG signals and energy optimisation of the system.
* Embedded software: Enables dynamic adaptation of the prosthesis' behaviour and fluid communication between mechanical and electronic modules.
All these developments are open-source, published under the CERN Open Hardware licence for hardware and GPL v3 for software. Work is currently underway at INRIA to document and disseminate all design files in order to promote replicability and transparency. This approach will ensure the traceability of contributions and strengthen the collective impact of the project.
The project is entering the incubation phase for the creation of a company that is expected to be launched in early 2027.
As part of this one-year contract, the engineer will be responsible for developing the prototype's mechanical aspects. The engineer may also provide first-level support to users until a company is created to take over these tasks.
The employer will be Inria and will be located at the Inria centre at the University of Rennes, on the Beaulieu campus.
The contract will be carried out within the team leading the business project, which includes a project leader responsible for development.
A direct link will be established with the team that developed the previous prototype. They will monitor and guide the development work carried out by the engineer.
Salary to be determined based on experience and skills.
The company currently being set up is likely to offer a position for a mechanical/mechatronics engineer in 2027.
Assignment
The engineer will contribute to the development and optimisation of the Bionicohand myoelectric prosthesis in order to meet the consortium's objectives for the coming months. This will involve optimising the existing prototype by proposing new solutions that meet the specifications in order to meet the needs of current users of myoelectric prostheses, more specifically in terms of the development of irreversibility and variable reduction. The aim is to propose solutions that are particularly optimised and at the cutting edge of academic research.
The engineer will benefit from the support of all technical partners to produce exploratory prototypes designed to investigate the feasibility of certain requests for developments with a view to a potential clinical study.
The engineer will participate in consortium meetings and decision-making.
The engineer will also take into account bug reports and suggestions for developments.
Main activities
* Understand how the current prototype works.
* Identify the strengths/weaknesses of irreversibility and variable reduction.
* Propose optimisation or alternative solutions.
* Produce CAD drawings and manufacturing plans.
* Liaise with industrial partners.
* Outsource the manufacture of parts.
* Test the prototype and draw the necessary conclusions to optimise it.
* Produce assembly instructions.
* Produce maintenance instructions
* Distribute solutions on digital platforms
* Report regularly to managers on work undertaken and planned.
* Coordinate activities with other consortium partners
* Contribute to the promotion of the Bionico consortium
Skills
Expected technical skills :
* Proficiency in CAD (preferably Solid Works)
* Proficiency in mechanical design and knowledge of manufacturing processes and their constraints (machining, 3D printing, etc.)
* Proficiency in scientific literature research.
* Comfortable with theoretical mechanical models (friction models, force calculation and transmission, etc.).
* Experience with mechatronic systems for prototyping solutions (motor control, simple electronics, Arduino-type prototyping software, etc.).
Personal skills :
* Desired qualification: Master's degree or engineering degree in Mechatronics or Mechanics.
* Desire to work in a team and interact with many different teams.
* Ability to communicate with non-specialists.
* Organisational skills, rigour, critical thinking.
* Ability to provide clear and regular reporting.
* Proficiency in scientific English, both spoken and written.
Additional skills :
* Community management.
* Knowledge of myoelectric prostheses.
* Familiarity with upper limb amputation.
* Knowledge of free software and licences (CERN, CC-by-SA, etc.).
* Experience with GitLab and/or GitHub.
Benefits package
* Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
* Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
* Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
* Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
* Social, cultural and sports events and activities
Warning : you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed.
Instruction to apply
Please submit your CV, cover letter, and any recommendations online
Defence Security :
This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST).Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment.
Recruitment Policy :
As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities.
A drive to create innovative solutions, rapidly prototyping, testing and iterating with a taste for action.
The ability to work with a remote team with a variety of skills.
About Inria
Inria is the French national research institute dedicated to digital science and technology. It employs 2,600 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally run jointly with academic partners, include more than 3,500 scientists and engineers working to meet the challenges of digital technology, often at the interface with other disciplines. The Institute also employs numerous talents in over forty different professions. 900 research support staff contribute to the preparation and development of scientific and entrepreneurial projects that have a worldwide impact.
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