7 Embodied AI and Humanoid Robotics PhD Positions (2026)
Looking for embodied AI and humanoid robotics PhD positions? Below are 7 professors who looked to be actively recruiting MSc, PhD and postdoc researchers as of July 22, 2026, covering VLA models, mobile manipulation, wearable robots, social robotics and bimanual humanoid control. Every one was surfaced with the ApexApply search and then checked by hand against their own page.
This is one in an occasional series of hand-checked position roundups, grouped by research area. Checked as of July 22, 2026.
| Professor | University | Research focus | Positions | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yong-Lu Li | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Embodied AI, physical reasoning, and VLA models | MSc, PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
| Hao Su | New York University | Biomechatronics and reinforcement learning for wearable robots | PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
| Georgia Chalvatzaki | TU Darmstadt | Structured robot learning for mobile manipulation | PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
| Oliver Lemon | Heriot-Watt University | Conversational and interactive robotics with VLA models | PhD | Profile |
| Kerstin Dautenhahn | University of Waterloo | Social robotics and human-robot interaction | MSc, PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
| Boyuan Chen | Duke University | Physical intelligence and embodied robot learning | PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
| Fei Chen | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Humanoid bimanual manipulation and world models | PhD, Postdoc | Profile |
How to use this list of embodied AI and humanoid robotics positions
A name here is a starting point, not a guarantee. Recruiting status changes fast, so confirm on each professor's own page before you email: funding falls through, a slot fills, a professor goes on leave. Every link above points at a recruiting or openings page, which is the page most likely to be kept current. Our guide on how to tell if a professor is actually accepting students walks through reading those signals, and how to email a professor covers the outreach itself.
Find PhD positions in your own field
This edition is embodied AI and humanoid robotics because that is what we checked this week. Your field is almost certainly different, and that is the point. ApexApply is an AI platform that matches prospective master's, PhD, and postdoc students to more than 3 million professors and faculty members across the globe, so you can run the same search for your own interests, in any discipline, and get a ranked set of best-fit professors in a few minutes.