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The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence research group at Luleå University of Technology develops autonomous robots for field use and has tested them in mines and other underground environments. We are now seeking a postdoctoral researcher to develop autonomy for teams of walking, wheeled, and flying robots. The robots will operate in areas where humans should not be present, such as underground mines and landslide-prone areas. The work involves scene understanding using basic models, navigation, and coordinated decision-making within the robot team when communication is limited. We value strong collaboration skills and an interest in taking research from the lab out into the field.

Subject Description

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence aims to develop new robotic systems characterized by advanced autonomy to improve robots’ ability to interact with their environment and people while performing specific tasks.

Project Description

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI) research group is part of the Department of Systems and Space Engineering. The group participated in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge with the CoSTAR team led by NASA/JPL. Its applications include, among other things, robotics for mining, aerial inspection of aging infrastructure, autonomy for space robotics, and search-and-rescue operations involving multiple robots. More information is available at https://www.ltu.se/robotics.

Missions in underground mines, landslide-prone areas, and other environments that are hazardous to humans often require multiple robots working together. Communication between the robots is often intermittent, and each robot must interpret its surroundings well enough to assess risks on its own. Foundation models for vision and language can support such interpretation, but they rarely model the physics of the terrain or the robot’s dynamics. This project will develop methods that integrate scene understanding, physics-informed navigation, and coordination within the robot team, and validate them in real-world environments.

The research will focus on one or more of the following areas.

• Scene and context understanding using foundational models—such as vision-language models—in underground mines and landslide-prone areas, including hazard identification and risk-aware assessment of passability
• Physics-informed base models for autonomous navigation, where learned models take into account the robot’s dynamics and the physical properties of the terrain
• Collaboration between multiple robots over mesh networks, with joint mapping and coordinated decision-making when communication is intermittent
• Communication-aware mission planning for multiple robots using 6G infrastructure, where the robots plan movements and tasks based on network coverage and capacity
• Experimental validation on walking, wheeled, and flying robots in underground and mining environments

Job Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of a postdoctoral researcher is research. The research includes a significant experimental component involving work with actual robots and field trials in mines and other underground environments. The results will be published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at major conferences. The position also includes contributing to the supervision of doctoral and master’s students and participating in the preparation of grant proposals to research funding agencies, the EU’s Framework Programs, and industry. Teaching may account for up to one-fifth of the work time.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this position, you must hold a Ph.D. or an equivalent foreign degree in robotics, control engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field. It is considered an asset if your degree was awarded no more than three years prior to the application deadline for this position. In special circumstances, candidates who earned their Ph.D. earlier may be considered, for example, in cases of various types of legally mandated leave.

You must have strong expertise in at least one of the following areas: robot perception, learning-based methods for robotics, multi-robot systems, or motion and mission planning. Previous work with experimentally verified results on real robots, in at least one of the research areas listed above, is required. You must also have strong programming skills in C++ and Python, as well as experience with ROS or ROS 2. Since you will be presenting the group’s work in Sweden and internationally, strong verbal and written communication skills in English are required.

Experience with foundational models or vision-language models in robotics, legged robots, communication and mesh networks for robots, wireless communication systems such as 5G or 6G, or with field trials in underground environments.

Information

This is a full-time, fixed-term postdoctoral position for two years, with the possibility of extension to a maximum of three years in total. The position is based in Luleå. Start date to be agreed upon.

A preliminary https://www.ltu.se/om-universitetet/arbeta-hos-oss/att-soka-en-anstallning#h-Information on salary transparency based on the position’s requirements, responsibilities, and market conditions.

For further information, please contact

Professor and Department Chair George Nikolakopoulos, 0920-49 1298, geonik@ltu.se

Postdoctoral Fellow Akash Patel, akash.patel@ltu.se.

https://www.ltu.se/om-universitetet/arbeta-hos-oss/att-soka-en-anstallning#h-Union representatives

Application

We prefer that you apply for the position using the application button below. Please attach a cover letter, a CV/resume with a list of publications, and copies of verified degree certificates. Also include a research plan of no more than two pages describing how you intend to approach one or more of the research areas listed above, as well as the names and contact information of two references. Please mark your application with the reference number below. The application and degree certificates must be written in Swedish or English.

Application deadline: November 15, 2026

Reference number: 5206-2026