PhD Position in Cooperative Perception and Sensor Fusion for Automated Driving, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Summary

The Chair of Automotive Technology (FTM) at the Technical University of Munich is offering a full-time, 3-year PhD position within the European Horizon Europe project SENSE. The position focuses on cooperative perception and sensor fusion for the autonomous research vehicle EDGAR. Key tasks include integrating external V2X data with the vehicle's onboard software stack, creating a temporally consistent environment model, and testing the system on test grounds and in real mixed traffic in Munich. Applicants must hold a master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or a related field, along with strong programming skills in Python, C++, and ROS 2. The role offers a 100% TV-L E-13 position with flexible working hours, remote options, and travel budgets. Applications should be submitted promptly via email.

Key Facts

Employer	Technical University of Munich
Department	Lehrstuhl für Fahrzeugtechnik (FTM)
Position Type	PhD / Doctoral Candidate
Discipline	Computer Science / Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Mathematics
Research Area	Cooperative Perception and Sensor Fusion for Automated Driving
Degree Required	Master's degree
Language	German and English (at least B2 level)
Required Documents	Cover letter, CV, Attachments
Employer Contact	Christiane Schulte, [email protected]
Employer Address	Bavaria (Bayern), 80333, Bavaria (Bayern)

About the Project

The research focuses on cooperative perception and sensor fusion for automated driving within the TUM-coordinated Horizon Europe project SENSE. Using the autonomous research vehicle EDGAR, the candidate will extend the vehicle's perception beyond onboard sensors by integrating V2X data from infrastructure and other road users into the Autoware onboard stack. The main scientific challenge involves handling irregular, delayed, and variable-accuracy data to build a real-time, temporally consistent environment model, followed by validation on test fields and real traffic in Munich.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead TUM's vehicle-side contributions within the Horizon Europe SENSE project.
• Develop a fusion pipeline merging V2X data from infrastructure and traffic participants into the onboard Autoware software stack.
• Address challenges regarding irregular, delayed, and variable-accuracy incoming data to generate a temporally consistent environment model.
• Integrate software onto the EDGAR compute platform with real-time capability and resource efficiency.
• Conduct testing on the test track and in real mixed traffic in Munich.
• Represent research results to European project partners, publish at international conferences, and supervise student theses.

Required Skills

• Very good master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or a comparable field.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Fluent German and English skills (at least B2 level).
• Very good programming skills in Python and C++ as well as sound experience with ROS 2.
• Initial experience in software development for autonomous vehicles, robotics, or perception.
• Willingness to travel for project meetings and international conferences.

Who Should Apply

Candidates holding a strong master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related discipline who have strong programming skills in Python, C++, and ROS 2. Applicants must possess at least B2-level proficiency in both German and English, demonstrate strong communication and organizational skills, and be willing to travel to project meetings and conferences.

Benefits

• Full-time position under TV-L E-13 100% for 3 years (2 + 1).
• Opportunity for doctorate (PhD) and start-up creation.
• Access to extensive server infrastructure, test fields, and the EDGAR research vehicle.
• Flexible working hours including working from home.
• Dedicated budget for further training and conferences.
• Opportunity for an abroad stay.

About the Employer

The Chair of Automotive Technology (FTM) at the Technical University of Munich operates EDGAR, one of the few autonomous research vehicles in Germany driving in public road traffic, working on an open-source European L4 software stack within an Autonomous Vehicle Lab.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree is required for this position?

A very good master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, or a comparable field is required.

What language skills are necessary?

Business-fluent German and English skills (at least level B2) are required.

What is the contract duration and salary level?

The position is a full-time contract for 3 years (2 + 1) funded at 100% TV-L E-13.

Where will testing take place?

Testing takes place on the institution's test track and in real mixed traffic in Munich.