About the SnT

SnT is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services. We play an instrumental role in Luxembourg by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg invites applications from highly motivated PhD candidates in the general area of situational awareness and control engineering for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) within its Automation & Robotics Research Group (ARG). SnT is carrying out interdisciplinary research in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services, often in collaboration with industrial, governmental or international partners. For further information you may check: www.securityandtrust.lu

The SnT Automation & Robotics Research Group is a strong and motivated research team led by Prof. Holger Voos. The group focuses on situational awareness and motion planning and control for autonomous vehicles and robots, including unmanned aerial vehicles, service robots in Industrie 4.0, automated and autonomous cars or satellites and spacecraft. Herein, solutions are investigated that combine optimization-based approaches with methods from artificial intelligence or machine learning, please see also: http://wwwen.uni.lu/snt/research/automation_robotics_research_group

We’re looking for people driven by excellence, excited about innovation, and looking to make a difference. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

Your Role

This is a fully funded position for 3 years (extendable to an additional 4th year) within the interdisciplinary project “TRANSCEND: TRansforming Autonomous Navigation, Swarm robotics and Construction by ENcoding Data into surfaces”, see https://wwwen.uni.lu/ias/running_audacity_projects/transcend. Together with researchers from physics, we will use Cholesteric Spherical Reflectors (CSRs), a versatile new optical component invented in the team, to develop fiducial markers that are invisible for humans, but easily detectable by a simple camera solution. In this PhD project, these CSR-based fiducial markers will be used to augment the situational awareness and motion planning of UAVs, for instance in indoor environments such as construction sites. In addition, we will investigate how UAVs can be applied to autonomously place the markers in the environment. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Holger Voos and will be required to perform the following tasks:

Contribute to the interdisciplinary project TRANSCEND as described
Carry out research in the predefined areas
Perform experimental validation with UAVs
Disseminate results through scientific publications
Present results in renowned international conferences and workshops

Your Profile

Qualification: The candidate should possess an MSc degree or equivalent in Electrical, Robotics or Control Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics or in another related discipline.

Experience: The ideal candidate should have knowledge and experience in some of the following topics:

Perception, situational awareness and control in mobile robotics, preferably applied to UAVs
computer vision in robotics
development skills in MATLAB and C++
knowledge in embedded programming and ROS as well as practical experience with UAVs is a plus

Language Skills: Fluent written and verbal communication skills in English are required.

Here’s what awaits you at SnT

A stimulating learning environment. Here post-docs and professors outnumber PhD students. That translates into access and close collaborations with some of the brightest ICT researchers, giving you solid guidance
Exciting infrastructures and unique labs. At SnT’s two campuses, our researchers can take a walk on the moon at the LunaLab, build a nanosatellite, or help make autonomous vehicles even better
The right place for IMPACT. SnT researchers engage in demand-driven projects. Through our Partnership Programme, we work on projects with more than 45 industry partners
Multiple funding sources for your ideas. The University supports researchers to acquire funding from national, European and private sources
Competitive salary package. The University offers a 12 month-salary package, over six weeks of paid time off, health insurance and subsidised living and eating
Be part of a multicultural family. At SnT we have more than 60 nationalities. Throughout the year, we organise team-building events, networking activities and more

But wait, there’s more!

Students can take advantage of several opportunities for growth and career development, from free language classes to career resources and extracurricular activities.

In Short

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month - extendable up to 48 months if required
Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
Location: Kirchberg
Employee and student status
Job Reference: UOL04180

Further Information

Applications should be submitted online and include:

Full CV, including list of publications and name (and email address, etc) of three referees
Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken (in English)
Research statement and topics of particular interest to the candidate (300 words)

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.

About the University of Luxembourg

The University of Luxembourg aspires to be one of Europe’s most highly regarded universities with a distinctly international and interdisciplinary character. It fosters the cross-fertilisation of research and teaching, is relevant to its country, is known worldwide for its research and teaching in targeted areas, and is establishing itself as an innovative model for contemporary European Higher Education. The University`s core asset is its well-connected world-class academic staff which will attract the most motivated, talented and creative students and young researchers who will learn to enjoy taking up challenges and develop into visionary thinkers able to shape society.

Further information

For further information, please contact us at holger.voos@uni.lu

PhD Position in Augmenting UAV situational awareness and motion planning with invisible fiducial markers