Postdoctoral Scholar, UAV and Lidar Data Collection

Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Arizona University’s Radiant Center for Remote Sensing invites a Postdoctoral Scholar to lead UAV and terrestrial lidar data collection and to create digital twins of forested study sites in northern Arizona. The role is based in Flagstaff, AZ and involves collaboration with the RSG Lab, field campaigns, and data integration to model understory and overstory vegetation.

The successful candidate will manage field deployments, supervise graduate students, prepare reports and manuscripts,

Responsibilities

• 55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds: Image each study area with terrestrial lidar.
• 55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds: Image each study area with UAV sensor and create SfM point cloud.
• 55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds: Fuse understory and overstory point clouds.
• 55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds: Convert point clouds to solid forest models.
• 20% - Identify Five Study Sites with Increasing Vegetation and Terrain Complexity: Lead field site visits, ranking, and suitability analysis for UAV operations and lidar data collection.
• 15% - Dissemination, Reporting & Travel: Prepare technical reports and milestone updates for project sponsors.
• 15% - Dissemination, Reporting & Travel: Author and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.
• 15% - Dissemination, Reporting & Travel: Travel to attend and present research findings at scientific conferences, and travel to field sites to support data collection.
• 5% - Team Supervision & Mentoring: Help mentor graduate students in research methods, technical development, and professional growth.
• 5% - Other: Perform other duties as assigned in support of lab and project needs.

Job description

Postdoctoral Scholar, UAV and Lidar Data Collection

Northern Arizona University

Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding.
• Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver's license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.
• Due to this project's funding source, this position is open only to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
• The position may require handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with sponsor and university data-security requirements. Work on this project may involve technical data, hardware, or software subject to U.S. export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); the incumbent must be able to comply with applicable export control requirements and with any project‑specific technology control plan.

About the Department/College

The Radiant Center for Remote Sensing, in partnership with the Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics (RSG) Lab in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering at Northern Arizona University, seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to serve as lead technical researcher on a sponsored research project focused on UAV and terrestrial lidar data collection to create digital twins of forested study sites in northern Arizona. This is one of several concurrent postdoctoral scholar recruitments at Radiant Center, and the successful candidate will collaborate closely with fellow postdoctoral researchers and faculty working simultaneously on related projects.

About the Position

The project includes a gradient of forested study sites with increasingly complex vegetation and terrain, which will be imaged and modelled by the postdoctoral research associate using existing UAV and terrestrial lidar scanners in the RSG Lab. Each study site will be imaged with a terrestrial lidar scanner to create digital twins of the understory vegetation and terrain and UAV sensors to model the overstory canopy. The postdoctoral research associate will fuse the two datasets to create a complete point cloud of the forested sites. The postdoctoral research associate will then lead and collaborate with other team members to turn the point cloud into solid models for UAV swarm simulations. The postdoctoral research associate will work collaboratively with a team of postdoctoral researchers and faculty working on various other aspects of the project and will contribute to technical reporting and manuscript preparation. The position is based in Flagstaff, AZ.

This position requires extensive fieldwork, including UAV flights across Flagstaff-area terrain ranging from desert and canyon country to ponderosa pine, mixed conifer forest, and alpine tundra (spanning close to 8,000 feet of elevation change within about an hour of campus), as well as occasional overnight or multi-day travel for more instant field campaigns and for conference travel. The position may require occasional overtime, particularly around field campaigns and sponsor reporting deadlines.

Responsibilities Include

• 55% - UAV and Lidar Data Collection and Data Fusion for Full Point Clouds
  • Image each study area with terrestrial lidar.
  • Image each study area with UAV sensor and create SfM point cloud.
  • Fuse understory and overstory point clouds.
  • Convert point clouds to solid forest models.
• 20% - Identify Five Study Sites with Increasing Vegetation and Terrain Complexity
  • Lead field site visits, ranking, and suitability analysis for UAV operations and lidar data collection.
• 15% - Dissemination, Reporting & Travel
  • Prepare technical reports and milestone updates for project sponsors.
  • Author and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.
  • Travel to attend and present research findings at scientific conferences, and travel to field sites to support data collection.
• 5% - Team Supervision & Mentoring
  • Help mentor graduate students in research methods, technical development, and professional growth.
• 5% - Other
  • Perform other duties as assigned in support of lab and project needs.