The University of Turku is a world-class multidisciplinary research university which offers interesting challenges and a unique vantage point for national and international research and education. 

Fully-Funded Doctoral researcher or Project researcher position for the Robot Control in Unstructured Environments 

R3Swarms: robust, resilient and reconfigurable swarms 

We are opening 1 fully-funded fixed-term doctoral researcher or project researcher position at the Turku Intelligent Embedded and Robotic Systems (TIERS) Research Group, University of Turku, Finland (tiers.utu.fi). 

The position is fixed-term ending 16.05.2025. The work is full-time and will start as soon as possible according to a mutual agreement, even as early as 1.11.2023.

The position is part of the R3Swarms project – Robust, Resilient and Reconfigurable Swarms, with a focus on the security and resilience of distributed intelligence, human-swarm interaction and situated communication. Particular interest is put to swarms of heterogeneous robots (ground, aerial and surface) with different capabilities working together with ground robots. 

The candidate for this position is expected to work at the intersection of these topics: 

-  Control of robots in unstructured environments 

-  Machine learning to compensate for modelling uncertainties 

-  Heterogeneous swarms of aerial and ground robots. 

The doctoral researcher is expected to pursue a Ph.D. degree while working on the project, as well as supervising Master students and supporting teaching activities for advanced courses at the Department of Computing and Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Turku. 

Eligibility 

What we expect from the candidate: 

-  Independence, collaboration and analytical skills 

-  Motivation to work in a multinational and interdisciplinary team on multi-robot systems, embedded AI, and edge computing. 

-  Background in relevant fields, such as computer science, embedded systems, information technology, mechanical engineering or another relevant field. 

-  Experience in Python and C++ programming. 

-  Fluent English proficiency. 

Additionally, we expect experience with designing and deploying control systems on embedded platforms. We also consider the advantage of knowledge of the following topics: 

-  Experience with machine learning applications. 

-  Practical hands-on experience with mobile robots and mechatronic systems. 

We expect researchers to jointly carry out interdisciplinary research across different fields and leverage the opportunities for collaboration. 

The qualification requirements for the positions are stated in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/organisation 

A person selected for the post of Doctoral researcher or Project researcher is required to have a higher university degree (MSc or MSc tech degree). The degree must be completed by the end of the application period. If the selected person already has a right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Turku, (s)he must also have an accepted research plan. In addition, when acquiring his or her degree or otherwise, he or she is required to have demonstrated the ability and motivation to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan. If the person does not have a right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Turku, (s)he must apply for the right from the University of Turku graduate school in Spring 2024. 

About the TIERS Research Group 

The Turku Intelligent Embedded and Robotic Systems research group (https://tiers.utu.fi) works within the fields of autonomous robots and edge computing, with a focus on developing robust and resilient multi-robot systems to be deployed in real-world conditions. Our research is put in action with a fleet of 40+ micro aerial vehicles, 3 large UAVs (DJI Matrice 300 RTK, DJI S1000) as well as other medium-sized UAVs. These are supported by several ground platforms (Clearpath Husky UGV, Unitree B1 and A1 and others), robotic manipulators (2x Franka Emika Panda cobots) and testing facilities with a motion capture system. 

From the algorithmic point of view, our research is in the areas of collaborative autonomy, distributed perception, localization and navigation in GNSS-denied environments and collaborative sensing. Applications include search and rescue, exploration of unstructured and unknown environments and autonomous delivery robots. Within the edge computing domain, we carry out research on lightweight and embedded machine learning, computational offloading orchestration, blockchain and DLT technologies and distribution of computational load in large-scale distributed robotic systems. 

 Salary and How to Apply 

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. For a doctoral researcher/project researcher the salary will be on the job demands chart on levels 2-4. The salary will be in the beginning of the employment around 2400-2500 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared. 

A six (6) month trial period applies to the position. 

Applications must be submitted at the latest on Thursday 12/10/2023 (23:59) using the electronic application form of the University of Turku at the following address: https://www.utu.fi/careers 

The link to the application system is at the beginning of this announcement (“Apply for the job”). 

Please include with your application: 

1. A motivation letter (1 page), 
2. CV (max. 2 pages), 
3. List of publications (if applicable) Please see the instructions 
4. Verification of language proficiency. Not mandatory, but IF you already have one include it in the application. NOTE, for doctoral researcher position, when applying to the University of Turku graduate school, you must have good English language skills and a certificate that proves those skills. See the list of accepted International English language tests here. 
5. Copies of degree certificates with translation in English or Finnish (if applicable) 
6. Study transcripts 
7. Contact information for 1-2 referees (name, affiliation, email) 
8. Other documents that may affect the decision-making. For example, information about grants, prizes and recommendation letters that the applicant wishes to present, to indicate the eligibility and merits for the applied position. 

 University of Turku is an active academic community of more than 25,000 students and staff members from over 100 different countries.  We welcome you cordially to our working community. In case you are arriving in Finland for the first time, we are offering you good orientation support. Please read further information at the website https://www.utu.fi/en/university/come-work-with-us.   

City of Turku is a vivid, middle-sized student city with 200,000 inhabitants, beautiful natural surroundings and ample opportunities for free-time activities. 

• Please learn more about the culture and the people  Working culture 
• This is Finland    https://finland.fi/ 
• More information about why choose Turku as a place to study and work https://www.turku.fi/en/study-turku/welcome-turku/5-reasons-choose-turku 

For further information about the position, please contact Professor Tomi Westerlund, tomi.westerlund@utu.fi. Regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Nina Reini, nina.reini@utu.fi.