PhD Position Stochastic Safe Envelope Prediction of Damaged Drones

In this ERC Consolidator Grant project a new paradigm called Artificial Physical Awareness will be developed that aims to improve the efficiency and safety of autonomous robots after system failures.

Job description

This PhD project is conducted within the ERC Consolidator Grant project "ARCS" in which you will collaborate with an international team of researchers to develop a new paradigm in control theory: Artificial Physical Awareness (APA). APA aims to provide robots with accurate knowledge on their physical capabilities, which are reduced in currently unknown ways after faults and failures. APA requires accurate and up-to-date knowledge on the safe envelope, which is the region of the state space inside which safe operations can be guaranteed. In this PhD project, new theory and methods will be developed for computing, storing, adapting, and utilizing time-varying stochastic safe envelopes for autonomous robots under various failure conditions. In particular, experiments will be conducted with damaged drones in various flight labs, from which data stochastic safe sets will be computed and integrated with real-time adaptive flight envelope protection controllers.

Requirements

Need-to-haves:

• Excellent knowledge of the following fields:
• Nonlinear (Optimal) control theory, Flight dynamics, Reachability analysis, System identification, Stochastic Systems Theory.
• In addition the candidate must have excellent
• programming skills in the following languages: C++, C, Python, Matlab
• Affinity with working with (flight) hardware

Nice-to-haves:

• Experience with working with hardware such as drones
• Experience with piloting drones

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Additional information

For more information about the vacancy please contact Coen de Visser (C.C.deVisser@tudelft.nl).

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 29 October 2024 via the application button and upload your:

• Motivation Letter
• CV
• Transcript of your MSc diploma

Please note:

• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. This exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) before an employment contract is agreed upon. Click here for more information.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.