The AI Characters team at ETH Zurich’s Computer Graphics Laboratory is seeking a Research Engineer to play a central role in developing and maintaining interactive AI avatar platforms, including Digital Einstein. The work focuses on lifelike digital humans powered by large language models, affective computing, and real-time rendering, deployed at high-profile international events such as the World Economic Forum, GITEX Global, and Berlin Science Week.
Digital Einstein is the flagship interactive AI avatar, bringing Albert Einstein to life as a conversational agent. Built on a Unity-based frontend with real-time facial and body animations, integrated speech recognition and synthesis, and orchestrated large language models for multilingual dialogue management, the system has engaged hundreds of thousands of visitors worldwide. The platform is expanding into augmented reality experiences, a web-based version for broader accessibility, novel hardware interaction elements, and continued improvements to the cognition layer.
Tasks
- Unity frontend development for Digital Einstein, including building AR experiences and maintaining the physical platform; designing components for reuse across deployment contexts
- Python backend development with a focus on large language model integration, improving dialogue quality, story adherence, agency, multimodal perception, affective cognition, and multi-turn interaction management
- Website development to bring Digital Einstein to the web and enable broader public accessibility
- On-site technical support at national and international events and demonstrations (setup, visitor interaction, troubleshooting), including occasional availability on weekends
- Optional: development of novel hardware interaction elements for the physical platform (e.g., tangible interfaces)
Requirements
- University degree (BSc or MSc) in Computer Science or a closely related field
- Solid hands-on experience with Unity
- Experience with augmented reality (AR) development, ideally with ARKit, ARFoundation, ARCore, Meta Quest, or comparable frameworks
- Hands-on experience with large language models and Python-based backend development
- Experience with web development is a plus
- Interest in hardware prototyping and interactive installation design is a plus
- Reliable, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced research environment both independently and as part of a team
- Willingness to provide on-site event support, including occasional weekends
Benefits
- A central engineering role in a high-visibility AI avatar platform showcased at flagship international events (World Economic Forum, GITEX Global, Berlin Science Week, and more)
- Exposure to cutting-edge research at the intersection of real-time graphics, large language models, and affective computing
- Opportunities to contribute to academic publications and research outputs
- Involvement in the full lifecycle of an interactive platform, from research prototype to large-scale public deployment
- Collaborative, international team at ETH Zurich’s Computer Graphics Laboratory
- Regular mentoring and close involvement in shaping the platform’s technical roadmap
- Dynamic research environment with a hands-on, engineering-driven culture
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Das Team
The AI Characters team operates within ETH Zurich’s Computer Graphics Laboratory, offering regular mentoring and close involvement in shaping the platform’s technical roadmap.