Runtime Root-Cause Analysis for Intelligent Robots via Causal AI Techniques H/F

Position description
Category
Mathematics, information, scientific, software

Contract
Internship

Job title
Runtime Root-Cause Analysis for Intelligent Robots via Causal AI Techniques H/F

Subject
Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) identifies the fundamental cause of failures, not just symptoms. Crucial for robots in uncontrolled environments, RCA distinguishes symptoms from actual causes like hardware bugs or environmental factors. Causal inference models the relationships between causes and effects, and differs from traditional machine learning that finds patterns or correlations within data without establishing causal directions. The internship aims to apply causal AI techniques for runtime RCA in robots, surveying and experimenting with suitable approaches to enhance resilience and safe autonomy.

Contract duration (months)
6

Job Description
Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) is a systematic process for identifying the fundamental cause of a problem or failure, rather than merely addressing its symptoms. It aims to understand why something went wrong in order to take appropriate actions and prevent recurrence. RCA is essential for robots that operate outside strictly controlled environments, where they are inevitably confronted with unexpected situations and failures. Symptoms can range widely, including erratic movements, sudden halts, or suboptimal task outcomes. RCA distinguishes these symptoms from the actual causes, which may include hardware or software bugs, inaccurate behavior specifications, or environmental factors. By pinpointing the root cause, robots can select appropriate goals for repair or system adjustments. This informed decision-making enhances resilience and ensures long-term safe autonomy for robots.

Causal inference is a branch of AI research that focuses on understanding and modeling cause-and-effect relationships, unlike many conventional machine learning approaches that primarily seek to identify patterns or correlations within data without establishing causal directions. The primary objective of the internship is to investigate and experiment with the application of causal AI techniques to develop runtime RCA capabilities for intelligent robots. The candidate will survey various approaches from the scientific literature, select a few that appear most suitable for runtime RCA, and conduct experiments to analyze and compare them by utilizing and customizing existing software implementations. The experiments will be conducted in simulated scenarios, with the potential to transition to a physical setup.

The internship covers the following activities:

• Conduct a survey of causal AI techniques from the scientific literature (e.g., Bayesian network-based methods, counterfactual reasoning, etc.), with a focus on those applicable to runtime RCA in intelligent robots.
• Select a few promising approaches based on the modeling assumptions that characterize the simulated scenarios.
• Choose an open-source software framework from among the many existing ones that support the selected approaches (e.g., PyMC, CausalNex, DoWhy, etc.).
• Conduct experiments in simulated scenarios to analyze and compare the performance of the selected causal AI approaches in diagnosing and resolving anomalies at runtime, and envision how they could complement or be complemented by other tools and approaches.
• Implement a ROS 2 stack that wraps the implemented runtime RCA capabilities.
• [Optional] Apply the implemented runtime RCA capabilities to a physical setup, if time permits.
• Document the software developed during the internship and prepare a comprehensive report detailing the results and findings of the investigation.

Applicant Profile
The candidate should be undergoing a master (or equivalent) in computer science, robotics, embedded systems or closely related topics. The identified skills are:

• Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in data analysis and machine learning libraries.
• Familiarity with probabilistic modelling and Bayesian networks, including causal inference techniques is an advantage.
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD, and GitLab, as well as with robotics simulation environments and ROS 2, is an advantage.
• Self-learning and teamwork skills, motivation and interest to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Excellent communication skills in English, international candidates are encouraged to apply, knowledge of the French language is not required.

Position location
Site
Saclay

Job location
France, Ile-de-France, Essonne (91)

Location
Palaiseau

Candidate criteria
Languages
English (Fluent)

Prepared diploma
Bac+5 - Master 2

Recommended training
Computer science, Robotics, Embedded systems or closely related topics

PhD opportunity
Oui