PhD Researcher in Autonomous Drone Flight

Job summary

This position involves conducting research on autonomous flight for multi-rotor drones in confined spaces, specifically for wind turbine inspection. The role is part of a three-year PhD program at a research center focused on civilian drone technologies and applications in critical sectors.

Qualifications

• MSc in engineering, robotics, computer science, or a related field, or expected completion before the start date.
• Experience in autonomous navigation, state estimation, or motion planning for robots or UAS.
• Familiarity with UAS platforms, subsystems, and payloads.
• Skills in prototyping drones and payloads, including mechanical design and systems integration.
• Knowledge of perception and machine learning for robotics.
• Proficiency in software design and development (C, C++, Python), especially for real-time and embedded systems.
• Experience in UAS operations, including piloting and experiments.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and development on state estimation and localization in GNSS-denied environments.
• Develop real-time perception systems and motion planning for safe flight near obstacles.
• Prototype drones and payloads for confined-space inspections.
• Integrate autonomy with inspection payloads and turbine data.
• Perform operation and flight testing of multi-rotor UAS at turbine sites.
• Participate in outreach activities and co-supervise related student projects.

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to publish research findings in international conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

Education

• A Master's degree in a relevant field is required.

Tools

• Familiarity with visual-inertial odometry (VIO), simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and sensor fusion techniques.