PhD Scholarships: Autonomous Robotic Construction with Humanoid and Multi-Robot Systems (ARCA Lab) Ariel University in Israel

Ariel University’s Architectural Robotics and Construction Automation Lab (ARCA Lab) is offering three fully funded PhD scholarships for research at the intersection of autonomous robotics, architecture, and construction. Supported by the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology, this project aims to advance the integration of digital design, simulation, and physical execution in the construction industry, addressing challenges in productivity, automation, and workflow fragmentation.

PhD researchers will join a multidisciplinary environment within the School of Architecture, collaborating across architecture, engineering, robotics, and computer science. The ARCA Lab specializes in autonomous robotic construction, digital fabrication at architectural scale, and construction automation, providing access to experimental robotic systems (mobile robots, robotic arms, humanoids), advanced fabrication infrastructure, and computational simulation and learning frameworks. Students will contribute to impactful research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications, prototypes, and new methods for construction automation.

The project encompasses three main PhD topics:

• Autonomous multi-robot and humanoid construction workflows: Focus on planning, coordination, and execution strategies for heterogeneous robotic systems in construction environments, including multi-agent task allocation, scheduling, sensing, localization, safety, human-supervised autonomy, and robust coordination using ROS / ROS 2.
• Robotic fabrication at architectural scale: Research on robotic 3D printing workflows, toolpath planning, process monitoring, quality evaluation, repeatability, and integration of mobile and humanoid robots in fabrication tasks, aligning design intent with fabrication constraints.
• Simulation and digital twins for construction automation: Develop simulation-based methods for planning, evaluation, and decision-making in robotic construction, including physics-based simulation, digital twin pipelines, calibration, uncertainty modeling, and feedback between simulation and physical execution.

Funding includes full tuition coverage and a monthly stipend of NIS 5,000–6,000 from Ariel University, plus approximately NIS 4,000 per month from Ministry of Science research grants, subject to satisfactory progress. Student dormitories are available on campus, and rental costs in Ariel are low. The PhD can be pursued full-time or part-time, with an expected duration of 3–4 years.

Entry requirements include a Master’s degree from a recognised institution, a final grade above 85, a thesis grade above 85, and two academic recommendation letters from PhD holders (can be provided later). English proficiency is mandatory; Hebrew is an advantage. Applications should include a CV and publication list (if applicable) and be submitted by email to [email protected]. Positions are expected to be filled by the end of February 2026, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

For more information, visit the Ariel University Graduate School or the FindAPhD project page.