The Digital Character AI team at ETH Zurich's Computer Graphics Laboratory is looking for a Student Research Assistant to support the frontend development of our interactive AI avatar platforms. Our work focuses on lifelike digital humans powered by large language models, affective computing, and real‑time rendering — deployed at high‑profile events such as the World Economic Forum, Berlin Science Week, and GITEX.
Project background
Digital Einstein is an award‑winning AI avatar platform that brings Albert Einstein to life as an interactive conversational agent. Built on a Unity‑based frontend integrated with speech recognition and real‑time facial and body animations, it has been showcased at major international events. The backend is implemented in Python and orchestrates large language models for dialogue management and response generation. We are currently extending the platform to a new Digital Curie installation. As our team scales up, we are looking for a student assistant to primarily help maintain and further develop the Unity frontend for both avatars — with the option to also contribute to the Python/LLM backend.
* Frontend maintenance and feature development in Unity for the Digital Einstein and Digital Curie avatar platforms
* Integration and testing of UI components, interaction flows, and real‑time rendering elements
* Optionally: support on the Python/LLM backend (dialogue systems, model integration)
* On‑site support at events and demonstrations (setup, visitor interaction, troubleshooting)
* Weekly team meetings (1–2 hours) to discuss progress and plan next steps
* Workload: 15 hours/week during semester, up to 41 hours/week during semester breaks (flexible)
Profile
* Enrolled student at ETH Zurich or another Swiss university
* Strong hands‑on experience with Unity (required)
* Interest in interactive systems or AI‑driven applications
* Reliable, proactive, and comfortable working independently as well as in a team
* Willingness to provide on‑site event support on occasion, including on weekends
* Knowledge of Python and/or large language models is a plus
* German language skills are a plus
We offer
* Hands‑on experience with a high‑profile AI avatar platform showcased at international events (World Economic Forum, GITEX, and others)
* Exposure to a cutting‑edge research environment spanning real‑time graphics, large language models, and affective computing
* Regular 1‑on‑1 mentoring and weekly team meetings
* Collaborative, international team at ETH Zurich's Computer Graphics Laboratory
In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected.
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