PhD position on Wireless Capsule Endoscopy and Magnetic Navigation

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join a project focused on developing a clinically compliant wireless platform for navigated capsule endoscopy and lesion detection. The research will investigate novel strategies for magnetic navigation, real-time localization, and robotic actuation of video capsules inside the gastrointestinal tract.

The candidate will design and implement a control framework that enables clinician-guided navigation, with validation in anatomical phantoms and ex vivo tissue. The ultimate aim is to improve diagnostic accuracy in gastrointestinal screening while maintaining patient comfort and safety.

In this PhD project you will:

• Conduct system integration and bench-level testing to validate performance in terms of navigation and orientation accuracy, responsiveness, stability, safety, and usability under clinically relevant constraints.
• Perform ex vivo evaluations using soft-tissue models to simulate gastrointestinal navigation and refine the system’s interface and functionality based on clinician feedback.
• Contribute to preclinical deployment where the system will be used in early-stage clinical research and workflow integration within a hospital environment.

Your profile

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate who meets the following criteria:

• Educational Background: A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field. Candidates with backgrounds in Control Engineering, Mechatronics, or Medical Technology are also welcome, particularly if their thesis work involved medical robotics, control systems, or image-guided interventions.
• Experimental Skills: Experience with experimental research in robotics, medical devices, or soft-tissue phantoms is highly valued. Familiarity with system integration, sensor technologies, or imaging modalities (e.g., X-ray fluoroscopy, endoscopy) is considered a strong asset.
• Programming and Data Analysis: Proficiency in programming tools such as Python, MATLAB, or C++ is highly beneficial for control development, data analysis, and real-time system implementation. Experience with ROS/ROS2 or related robotic frameworks is an advantage.
• Communication: Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English are essential for effective collaboration, publication of results, and interaction with clinical partners.

Our offer

• As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU)
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 3.059,- (first year) to € 3.881,- (fourth year)
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid)
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

Information and application

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the ‘Apply now’ button below before October 27, 2025 and include:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.
• A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references. –
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).

Screening is part of the selection proces.

About the department

The successful candidate will join the Robotics and Mechatronics (RaM) Department within the EEMCS Faculty at the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. This position offers ample opportunities for collaboration and interaction with academic and industrial partners.

You will work in a dynamic, highly interdisciplinary environment, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to advance the understanding and applications of micro swimmers in medical robotics.

About the organisation

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow’s digital society. As part of a tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.