One or more PhD stipends in Classification and Identification of Underwater Anomalies

At the Faculty of Engineering and Science, AAU Energy offers a PhD stipend position within the general study program. The position is offered in relation to the research group Underwater Technology, and the PhD Students will be positioned in the Esbjerg Energy section.

The positions are part of the ABBA USV project and are open for appointments from the 1st of September 2025 or soon hereafter. The positions are fixed for 3 years.

PhD Focus Area: Classification and Identification of Underwater Anomalies
This PhD project focuses on enabling advanced underwater perception through multi-modal sensor fusion and AI-based segmentation, with a particular emphasis on inter-vehicle collaboration. The overall goal is to develop robust, scalable methods for detecting and classifying structural anomalies (e.g. damage, corrosion, foreign objects) on subsea cables, pipelines, and installations using data acquired collaboratively by USVs and UUVs in the ABBA system.

Key research tasks will include some of the following:

• Sensor fusion framework: Identifying and integrating suitable sensor types across USVs and UUVs (e.g. optical cameras, sonar, magnetic sensors, acoustic modems) to create a complementary dataset. The candidate will design algorithms that synchronize and fuse heterogeneous data sources to improve perception robustness under variable underwater conditions.
• Segmentation and classification: Training, evaluating, and fine-tuning machine learning models (e.g. deep neural networks) to segment underwater scenes and classify anomalies. The work will explore the use of virtual environments and synthetic datasets for model pre-training and domain adaptation to field data.
• Collaborative perception strategies: Investigating how cooperative behaviour between the USV and UUV can enhance anomaly detection, for instance, by adapting vehicle positioning or sensor usage dynamically during missions. This includes strategies where one vehicle provides global context (e.g. mapping or acoustic baseline), while the other performs detailed local inspection.
• Digital twin simulations: Developing simulation environments replicating sensor characteristics and anomaly conditions to test perception algorithms under controlled, repeatable scenarios. The digital twin will be used for benchmarking and to support iterative algorithm development.
• Field validation: Deploying the integrated USV-UUV perception system in harbor and offshore trials. Ground-truth data will be collected to evaluate detection performance under real-world conditions. The candidate will contribute to experimental planning, sensor calibration, and post-processing of field data to assess accuracy, false detection rates, and operational robustness.

It is not required that the applicant be able to cover all tasks, as more candidates are expected to be employed in the interdisciplinary project.

Qualifications and Skills
Applicants should have a strong academic background and hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant engineering field, such as computer science, robotics, machine learning, electrical engineering, or a related field.

The ideal candidate will have some of the following skills such as:

• Computer vision and machine learning: A solid understanding of image and signal processing, with experience in machine learning, deep learning, or AI methods. Familiarity with semantic segmentation, anomaly detection, or pattern recognition techniques is highly valued.
• Sensor fusion and perception: Knowledge of fusing heterogeneous sensor data such as sonar, cameras, magnetometers, and inertial measurement units. Experience working with real-time perception pipelines is advantageous.
• Underwater or field robotics experience: Previous work with marine or mobile robotics platforms is an asset. Understanding the limitations of underwater sensing and navigation will benefit the project focus.
• Technical computing skills: Strong programming skills (e.g. Python, C++, MATLAB). Experience with robotics software frameworks such as ROS, Gazebo, or other simulation environments is expected.
• Soft skills: Excellent communication skills in English, both written and oral. The candidate should be motivated, proactive, and able to work independently as well as part of an interdisciplinary research team.
  

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are
The Underwater Technology research group at AAU Energy in Esbjerg focuses on applied research in autonomous marine systems, including control, perception, and system integration. The group works with modeling, algorithm development, and experimental validation, with an emphasis on rapid prototyping and deployment in real-world scenarios. Research activities include control of unmanned systems, multi-modal sensor fusion, underwater perception, and digital twin simulation. The group collaborates closely with industrial partners in the offshore energy and maritime sectors and conducts experimental testing in both lab and field environments, including harbor and offshore trials.

Aalborg University contributes to the knowledge building of the global society as well as the development of prosperity, welfare, and culture of Danish society. This is accomplished through research, research-based education, public sector services, and knowledge collaboration. AAU educates students for the future and activities are based on a dynamic and transformative collaboration with the surrounding community.

AAU Energy is a dynamic engineering research department in continuous growth and inspiring surroundings. AAU Energy has a very international environment and covers all areas of clean and sustainable energy systems of the future within electrical, thermal and mechatronic energy technology. AAU Energy has campuses in both Aalborg and Esbjerg, this position is located in Esbjerg.

The mission is to be world leading in both research and research-based education of the energy engineers of the future. AAU Energy has approx. 300 employees of many nationalities, of which 25 are administrative staff. In addition, AAU Energy constantly has approx. 50-70 guest researchers from around the world.

Research and teaching are in the absolute world elite in the field of energy, and we have extensive and leading workshop and laboratory facilities, where research and innovation are carried out in direct collaboration with industry to a great extent.

The ABBA USV project addresses the growing need for reliable and autonomous offshore infrastructure inspection and surveillance. The project integrates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) into a unified, collaborative robotics system designed for inspection and surveillance tasks. These vehicles will operate in challenging marine environments to perform monitoring of cables, pipelines, platforms, and other critical subsea infrastructure with minimal human intervention. The collaboration between vehicles will be enabled through shared control, communication protocols, and mission planning, allowing them to function as a coordinated unit. The multi-vehicle platform will be developed by the project partners throughout the project and validated in offshore conditions.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Short project description (1-2 pages), which describes the applicant’s initial thoughts and ideas related to the specific project applied for.
  This includes: A the state-of-the-art related to collaborative control/localization (including short list of references) identify key research gaps, and propose initial ideas for tackling the project’s objectives, including a tentative work plan/timeline.
  All documentation should be in English and merged in a single PDF document.
• Other relevant documents

Please, note that applications which do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered. 

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?     
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

• For professional information, please contact Associate Professor Simon Pedersen, spe@energy.aau.dk
• Other questions, please contact HR AAU Energy: hr@energy.aau.dk.

Further information  
We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.  

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science

Read more about AAU at www.aau.dk

Read more about the AAU Energy at www.energy.aau.dk

Salary, Career and Terms of Employment
When pursuing a PhD at Aalborg University, you'll receive a stipend which includes both salary and pension benefits. The base salary starts at a minimum of 28,993.42 DKK before taxes, with an additional 17% added for pension contributions. However, the final salary can be negotiated based on your qualifications and experience, with seniority playing a key role in determining the main salary. Read more about pension options here.

At Aalborg University's Doctoral School, engineering PhD students enjoy unique career development opportunities. These include personalized DISC profile assessments with feedback, career-focused courses, and networking events with trade unions, employers, and other relevant parties. Learn more about these initiatives at our Career Hub.

The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).