Laboratory For Artificial Intelligence In Design Limited Hiring! Full Time Optical - Imaging Systems Engineer (Ref. No.: AiDLab-ISE) in Hong Kong - Ricebowl

LABORATORY FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN DESIGN LIMITED

AiDLab is the first research platform that focuses on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with design. It was jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the UK, and is funded by the HKSAR Government under the InnoHK Research Clusters. AiDLab brings together a diverse mix of leading researchers and practitioners from its founding institutions to conduct research in three thematic programmes: AI in Fashion Design, AI in Textile and Apparel Quality Control and AI in Ergonomic Design.

Optical / Imaging Systems Engineer

(Ref. No.: AiDLab-ISE)

[Appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract]

Duties

The appointee will play a key role in assisting the Project Leader on two high profile research projects: “Intelligent Garment Inspection System”, and “WiseEye 2.0: AI-based Inspection System for Knitted and Printed Fabrics”. The appointee will focus on designing and optimizing imaging and lighting systems so that subtle textile defects that are difficult to capture with existing line-scan camera solutions, such as creases, wrinkles, and low-contrast texture distortions, can be clearly and consistently acquired.

The appointee will take responsibility for setting up the imaging platform, selecting hardware, and carrying out optical experiments while working closely with the project team, with the primary emphasis placed on hardware and optical innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze the limitations of existing inspection hardware, including line-scan cameras, lenses, lighting, and mechanical structures, and define clear imaging performance targets for subtle defects based on business requirements.
• Design and build new optical imaging configurations, including lens selection, filters, aperture, and camera mounting geometry, for inspection of moving fabrics such as roll-to-roll or web materials.
• Design and test advanced lighting solutions, such as dark-field lighting, oblique illumination, structured light, polarized light, multi-angle lighting, and high-dynamic-range lighting, to enhance the visibility of low-contrast surface defects such as creases and wrinkles.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of the microscopic surface topology and optical properties of different textile materials, including weave density, reflectance, scattering, polarization, and fluorescence response, in order to determine the best-matched light wavelength, illumination topology, and camera configuration for maximizing defect image features.
• Build and maintain experimental platforms, including camera mounts, motion stages or fabric guide rollers, synchronized trigger systems, and mechanical fixtures that ensure repeatability.
• Select, procure, and integrate industrial cameras, lenses, and LED light sources, including GigE, Camera Link, and USB3 cameras, line lights, bar lights, dome lights, and strobe lighting.
• Develop and execute test plans, characterize image quality through metrics such as signal-to-noise ratio, contrast, resolution, dynamic range, and uniformity, and quantify the detectability of different defect types under various conditions.
• Develop basic acquisition and control software, for example using Python, C++, and vendor SDKs, to control and synchronize cameras, light sources, and triggers, while supporting efficient dataset acquisition and management for the AI team.
• Work closely with AI and computer vision researchers to continuously refine optical and lighting designs based on algorithm performance feedback.
• Prepare standardized technical documentation, including optical solutions, calibration procedures, and experimental results, and contribute to internal reporting, knowledge accumulation, and potential patent or paper outputs.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or above in optical engineering, physics, electronic or electrical engineering, mechatronics, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of practical experience in imaging optics or machine vision hardware related work, including industrial cameras, lenses, and lighting systems; experience in inspection or measurement projects is preferred.
• Solid knowledge of optics and imaging fundamentals, including depth of field, modulation transfer function (MTF), exposure, signal-to-noise ratio, polarization, reflection and scattering, and glare control.
• Experience in machine vision lighting design or debugging, such as line lights, ring lights, backlights, diffuse dome lighting, and LED strobe lighting.
• Familiarity with industrial camera system integration and debugging, including interfaces such as GigE Vision, Camera Link, and USB3 Vision, as well as related hardware such as triggers, encoders, and frame grabbers.
• Ability to independently build and improve experimental setups, with hands-on capability in optical-mechanical assembly and alignment; familiarity with basic machining or 3D-printed fixture fabrication is an advantage.
• Familiarity with at least one image acquisition or vision development environment, such as Python with OpenCV or a vendor SDK, for image acquisition and basic image quality analysis.
• Strong experimental design and data analysis skills, with the ability to present methods and conclusions clearly in English, both in writing and speaking.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with online inspection systems for roll or web materials such as textiles, paper, film, metal strip, or PCB.
• Understanding of, or practical experience with, non-traditional imaging technologies such as photometric stereo, 3D profilometry, multispectral or hyperspectral imaging, and polarization imaging for enhancing surface defect visualization.
• Exposure to AI or anomaly detection vision workflows, with an understanding of how image quality and defect visibility influence model performance.
• Experience collaborating with manufacturing or production teams to deploy online inspection hardware on production lines.
• Strong hands-on ability and enthusiasm for continuous experimentation with optics, cameras, and mechanical structures in the laboratory to pursue better imaging performance.

Remuneration

A highly competitive remuneration package will be offered. Applicants should state their current and expected salary in the application.

Applicants are invited to submit a detailed curriculum vitae to the AiDLab by email to *************

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance
• Paid sick time

Work Location: In person