INT-2638- INTERNSHIP IN COGNITIVE LOAD-AWARE AR ASSISTANT USING AI FOR CONTEXTUAL NAVIGATION IN CRITICAL SAFETY ENVIRONMENTS
Internship contract – 6 months | Fulltime/40h | From 01.02.2026 on | Belval
Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us
The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies : https://www.list.lu/
How will you contribute?
In complex and safety-critical environments such as industrial plants, laboratories, or emergency response sites, human operators often face high cognitive load, which can impair decision-making and reaction time. This internship, conducted within the HANDS unit inside VISINT group, explores the integration of Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create adaptive digital assistants that improve situational awareness and task performance.
The goal of this internship is to explore how a system composed of a Cognitive Load-Aware AR Assistant, combining contextual understanding and AI-driven reasoning, can support human operators in decision-making. The system will use Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines to access information about the surrounding environment and provide adaptive guidance through XR visualization and conversational interaction.
During the internship, you will learn to design and implement such a system and integrate it into the existing SMARTLAB platform. SMARTLAB is designed to provide laboratory safety training based on XR for personnel working in hazardous material science laboratories. The system includes a virtual assistant that guides and supports SMARTLAB users. Your internship will focus on enhancing this AI-powered virtual assistant to provide visual cues, hazard alerts, and verbal guidance, ensuring safe and efficient task completion.
During the internship, the trainee will :
Develop foundational knowledge in cognitive load theory and its application to safety-critical AR.
Acquire hands-on design and development skills by creating a cognitive load-aware AR navigation assistant prototype integrated with an AI backend (e.g., RAG or LLM-based conversational agent).
Gain practical experience in the integration of diverse technologies ranging from AI to AR.
Learn user experience evaluation methodologies and explore measurement techniques for assessing cognitive demand (including subjective methods like NASA-TLX, performance-based metrics such as task completion time and error rates, etc.)
Gain experience in research and innovation skills.
Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!
Education
Master’s student in computer science, human-computer interaction, AI, XR technologies, or related fields.
Experience and skills
Programming experience (preferably C#/Unity and Python).
Familiarity with AR/VR development, AI/LLMs, or human-centered design.
Motivation to explore AI-driven adaptive interfaces and emerging XR technologies.
Prior exposure to Unity MRTK, OpenXR, or LLM frameworks (e.g., LangChain, OpenAI API) is a plus but not mandatory.
Language skills
Good command of English
Your LIST benefits
An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects;
Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society;
Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations such as our Viswall, high-scale incubators and top of the range 3D/4D printings that are part of our toolkit for excelling in all we do;
Multicultural and international work environment with more than 45 nationalities represented in our workforce;
Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions;
Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science;
32 days’ paid annual leave for a full time internship, 11 public holidays per annum, flexible working hours,
An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas.
Apply online
https://www.list.lu/en/jobs/interns/
Your application must include a motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience
Application procedure and conditions:
We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.
LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.
Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.
