Postdoc: Autonomous Drone Flight in Confined Spaces

Syddansk Universitet (University of Southern Denmark - SDU); Odense; On-site; DKK 430,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for postdoc positions focused on autonomous flight in confined environments for multi-rotor drones. The two-year appointments will be conducted at the SDU UAS Center, in collaboration with Vestas, and are tied to wind-turbine inspection challenges.

Start date is flexible. Applicants should hold a PhD in engineering, robotics or computer science and have experience in navigation, perception, and real-time control for UAS.

Qualifications

• PhD in engineering, robotics, computer science or related field; required by start date.
• Experience with autonomous navigation, perception, or motion planning for robots/UAS.
• Prototyping of drones and payloads (mechanical/electronics integration).
• Software development in C, C++, Python; real-time/embedded systems.
• Publication record in international conferences/journals.
• Ability to work in collaboration with industry partners.

Responsibilities

• State estimation and localisation in GNSS-denied, confined environments (VIO, SLAM, sensor fusion).
• Real-time perception development.
• Motion planning and control for safe, agile flight near obstacles and structures.
• Prototyping drones and payloads (mechanical/electronics integration to flight-ready systems).
• Integration of autonomy with onboard inspection payloads and turbine data.
• Operation and flight testing of multi-rotor UAS, including turbine-site experiments.

Skills

C

C++

Python

Real-time systems

Embedded systems

Robotics

UAS operations

Education

PhD in engineering/robotics/computer science

Tools

ROS

VIO/SLAM

Sensor fusion

GNSS-denied navigation

Job description

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for postdoc positions focused on autonomous flight in confined environments for multi-rotor drones. The two-year appointments will be conducted at the SDU UAS Center, in collaboration with Vestas, and are tied to wind-turbine inspection challenges.

Start date is flexible. Applicants should hold a PhD in engineering, robotics or computer science and have experience in navigation, perception, and real-time control for UAS.