The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) at TU Delft is seek a motivated PhD student to work on a 4-year NWO-funded project called DARE (Distributed and Adaptive Radar for Enhanced Sensing and Classification).
The goal of this project is to work towards transitioning radar from a conventional stand-alone sensor to an intelligent and spatially distributed network of cooperative nodes. The spatially distributed aspect will provide information from many partial viewpoints to reconstruct more detailed 3D signatures of the observed scenarios. The intelligent aspect will enable the radar to adapt its parameters and processing to the changes in objects’ behavior and environment, like in a sort of “chess game”. Hence, the intended scientific breakthrough is to formulate, implement, and validate the ‘distributed radar brain’ needed to establish and support this new sensing approach, combining spatially-distributed with adaptive capabilities in radar classification.
Specifically, in this project they work on the problem of monitoring multiple drones that might (or not) act as a coordinated swarm, which is a very timely problem for the safety of public spaces and national assets such as airports or stadiums, not just in conflict scenarios but also for every-day monitoring. This problem is scientifically challenging, as drones are relatively small and highly maneuverable objects, not easy to track through radar sensing, especially in an urban environment, and even less easy to understand their intent (eg, whether they are just accidentally flown where they should not, or if there is an actual malicious intent). Distributed and adaptive radar techniques have the potential to improve our capabilities to monitor these situations, and they seek motivated students to take up this challenge.
Tasks
- Develop strategies to adapt the configuration of radars in a network and decide the best processing approaches as a function of the object behavior and changes in the environment, which should be later translated into codes and databases.
- Formulate mathematical models for key radar parameters, feature extraction, and target identification/tracking for drones and drone swarms in heterogeneous radar networks.
- Experimentally validated methods using numerical simulations and in-situ observations.
- Collaborate with another PhD student within the same project to exchange knowledge, perform joint experiments and make sure all project objectives are met.
- Participate in knowledge utilization activities and dissemination of research findings, also including project partners.
Duration: 4 Years
Salary
In accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch Universities, they offer:
- Increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year.
- The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor.
- The TU Delft offers a customizable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution.
- Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
Job Requirements
To be considered for the PhD Position on Distributed & Adaptive Radar for Drone Monitoring, applicants must have:
- A Master’s degree in electrical/electronic engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, or other related fields.
- Knowledge and interest in radar signal processing, preferably but not necessarily in classification techniques and distributed radar systems.
- Knowledge or at least some interest in machine learning, preferably techniques for management/adaptation of systems.
- Programming experience in MATLAB/Python or C/C++, preferably about radar signal processing.
- A curiosity-driven mindset, the ability to learn new things, and a passion for (doing) research.
- An open-minded personality for cooperation with colleagues and co-supervision of students.
- Willingness to help out with education-related tasks (eg, teaching assistance).
- Good English language and communication skills (written and oral) to cooperate closely with colleagues and students as well as write project documents.
Application Process
Interested applicants are to submit the following documents for application:
- Short motivation letter with an explanation for why they think they are suitable for this PhD position.
- Detailed CV with relevant grades (with the contact details of 2 referees).
To apply for the PhD Position on Distributed & Adaptive Radar for Drone Monitoring, click here.
Deadline: June 30, 2024.
For more information on the position of Distributed & Adaptive Radar for Drone Monitoring, visit the official site.
