Update WebAssembly Master-Thesis positions

open-positions/_posts/2026-05-27-rust-based-in-place-wasm-interpreter.md

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+---
+layout: job
+title: Feature Extension of an In-Place WebAssembly interpreter in Rust
+tag: master
+contact: simon.mederer@hm.edu
+---
+
+For our research group we are looking for a motivated student to extend our Rust-based In-Place
+WebAssembly interpreter.
+
+WebAssembly is a modern, low-level, assembly-like language with a compact binary format designed 
+for improved application performance in web browsers. Through its security features like sandboxing, 
+it is a promising technology for a wide variety of applications. But it can also be used outside 
+the browser. For example, on microcontrollers. In our labs in Munich and Bad Tölz, we are currently
+working on an ecosystem of efficient, practical WebAssembly runtimes and supporting tools for modern
+embedded systems. Currently, we are focusing on developing a Rust-based WebAssembly In-Place 
+interpreter for embedded systems. 
+
+In the context of WebAssembly, so-called rewriting interpreters are commonly used. These 
+interpreters transform the original bytecode into an intermediate representation (IR), which 
+simplifies the handling of the structured control flow of WebAssembly. In contrast, In-Place 
+interpreters execute the original, unmodified bytecode directly, which reduces memory overhead and 
+improves startup performance. Moreover, alternative execution tiers are often unsuitable for 
+safety-critical environments. 
+
+The research direction is open, but the following points outline possible focus areas:
+- Evaluate relevant WebAssembly proposals (e.g., Tail Calls, Threads, Component Model, ...) and 
+  integrate them directly into the interpreter.
+- Benchmark, profile, and optimize the interpreter to minimize execution latency and memory 
+  overhead using Rust’s zero-cost abstractions.
+- Investigate the usability of the Rust-based In-Place interpreter from an application-level 
+  perspective. 
+- Establish a CI pipeline to automate benchmarking and profiling on target microcontroller hardware.
+- Research into how WebAssembly binaries can be debugged on embedded hardware while being executed 
+  by an In-Place interpreter.
+
+If this topic sounds interesting to you, or if you’ve been inspired and have a suggestion for a 
+related topic, feel free to reach out!