PhD scholarship in Active Perception and End-to-End AI-driven Intuitive Inspection for Autonomous Aerial Robots - DTU Electro

Work within a leading EU consortium to develop end to end systems for autonomous navigation and on the fly inspection. Your research will integrate active exploration with deep learning–based defect detection, validated in real world aerial scenarios.
Do you excel in autonomous navigation, active exploration, and real-time inspection? Are you excited about UAVs? As part of our high profile EU consortium in the AUTOASSESS project, you will drive the development of an integrated AI system for aerial robots. Our work departs from conventional mapping and exhaustive planning by fusing end-to-end deep learning for localization, monocular depth estimation, and reinforcement learning. You will develop innovative algorithms that empower aerial robots to actively explore unknown, unstructured, and GNSS-denied environments while simultaneously detecting and assessing structural defects. This position offers you the unique opportunity to gain expertise in active perception and autonomous system design, pushing the boundaries of map-less operation and maximizing inspection coverage in critical industrial scenarios.

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your responsibilities are as follows:

• Conduct cutting-edge research and develop an end-to-end AI framework that integrates autonomous navigation, active exploration, and real-time defect inspection for aerial robots.
• Design and refine reinforcement learning and monocular depth estimation algorithms that enable map-less, robust localization and inspection in unstructured, dynamic environments.
• Integrate advanced 3D representation techniques—such as Neural Radiance Fields and Gaussian splatting—into your system to enhance perception and decision-making.
• Collaborate with expert partners (e.g., NTNU and TUM) within the AUTOASSESS project consortium to merge your algorithms into a unified, practical aerial platform.
• Plan and execute extensive experiments and field tests under diverse environmental conditions to validate and optimize system performance.
• Publish research results in prestigious international conferences and journals, while actively contributing to grant proposals and academic collaborations.

Furthermore:

• You will be responsible for designing and building the active perception for inspection capabilities of the next generation aerial robotics platform of the DTU team.
• You will engage in research with regards to inspection, quantification, and active perception of the platform.
• You will participate in the integration and field testing of the platform, together with our other high-profile partners of our projects, i.e: AUTOASSESS and our unannounced upcoming inspection projects.

At DTU, you will be part of a dedicated group of people led by your PhD supervisor associate professor Evangelos Boukas, Project Leader and Consortium Coordinator of AUTOASSESS. Your PhD project will result in scientific publications and experimental validation of your results. You will present at international conferences as part of your research training, and you will in addition sharpen your didactics skills through experience as teaching assistant.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Additionally, it will be an advantage to your application to have experience with some of the following:

• Prior experience in reinforcement learning, active perception, and sensor fusion for autonomous navigation.
• Experience with simulation tools, including Isaac Gym, Isaac Sim, Aerial Gym.
• Experience with ROS, and especially real-life aerial robots.
• Experience with open-source tools for deep learning, computer vision and robotics would be an advantage.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Evangelos Boukas, +45 52901729, [email protected]

You can read more about DTU Electro at https://electro.dtu.dk/.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 14 April 2025 (23:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Electro has more than 300 employees with electrical and photonics engineering competencies. Research is performed within nanophotonics, lasers, quantum photonics, optical sensors, LEDs, photovoltaics, ultra-high speed optical transmission systems, bio-photonics, acoustics, power electronics, robotics, and autonomous systems.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

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