Postdoctoral Research Associate in Robotics and Autonomous Underground Mapping, ORNL
Job Description
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate in robotics and navigation, building a robot that explores and maps underground on its own. The call is open until filled.
At a glance
- Post: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Robotics and Autonomous Underground Mapping
- Where: Building Envelope Materials Research Group, Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Requisition ID: 16867
- Closing date: none given. ORNL reviews applications as they arrive, so the post is open until filled
- Pay: the advertisement states no figure
Read the official ORNL advertisement before you apply.
The work
The post develops an autonomous underground exploration and mapping robotic platform. The work has three named parts: integrating heterogeneous sensors and onboard computing hardware; developing LiDAR-based simultaneous localisation and mapping, autonomous navigation, trajectory planning and point cloud mapping; and deploying those algorithms on a physical mobile robot.
The deployment environment is the hard part, and the advertisement is specific about it: GPS-denied, low-light, and geometrically repetitive. Repetitive geometry is what breaks SLAM, because one stretch of tunnel looks like the last one, and the robot has no satellite fix to fall back on.
You would collaborate with researchers in robotics, surveying, remote sensing and artificial intelligence. This is an on-site position.
What you need
- A PhD in robotics, computer science, electrical or mechanical engineering, or a related field
- LiDAR-based SLAM, autonomous navigation and point cloud processing
- Experience deploying algorithms on real robot hardware, beyond simulation
- Read the official advertisement for the full qualifications
Pay and conditions
ORNL publishes no salary figure on this advertisement. It is a US Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory with more than 7,000 staff, and postdoctoral appointments there are normally fixed-term with the possibility of renewal. Ask about the term and the pay band at interview.
How to apply
Apply through the ORNL job page using the Apply button, quoting requisition 16867. The advertisement gives no closing date, so apply early. Most ORNL positions require the right to work in the United States, and some roles touching nuclear or export-controlled work carry citizenship conditions. Read the posting’s own wording before you spend time on an application from outside the US.
Browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in, or search our Find a supervisor page.
Hiring institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Official advertisement: jobs.ornl.gov
How to prepare for this application
- Real hardware is required. The advert says deploy on a physical mobile robot; simulation-only work reads thin here.
- Name your SLAM stack. LIO-SAM, FAST-LIO, Cartographer or your own.
- Quote the requisition ID, 16867. ORNL tracks applications by it.
- Check the work-authorisation line on the posting. It is the usual reason an overseas application stalls at a national laboratory.
About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ORNL is the largest US Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with a legacy going back to the 1940s and more than 7,000 staff. It runs national user facilities including the Spallation Neutron Source and the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, and works across computing, materials, chemistry, nuclear science, biology and energy.
