A pioneer in ocean science, IFREMER’s cutting-edge research is grounded in sustainable development and open science. Our vision is to advance science, expertise and innovation to:

  • Protect and restore the ocean
  • Sustainably use marine resources to benefit society
  • Create and share ocean data, information & knowledge.

With more than 1,500 personnel spread along the French coastline in more than 20 sites, the Institute explores the 3 great oceans: the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A leader in ocean science, IFREMER is managing the French Oceanographic Fleet and its dedicated scientists create ground-breaking technology to push the boundaries of ocean exploration and knowledge, from the abyss to the atmosphere-ocean interface.

Well-established in the international scientific community, our scientists, engineers and technicians are committed to advance knowledge about our planet’s last unexplored frontiers. They provide the science we need for informed decision-making and public policy and they transfer this knowledge and technology to businesses to fulfill public and private needs. Core to our mission is also to strengthen public awareness about the importance of understanding the ocean and its resources, and empowering future generations of leaders through education and outreach national campaigns.

Founded in 1984, IFREMER is a French public organization and its budget approximates 240 million euros. It is operating under the joint authority of the French Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the french Ministry of the Sea, the French Ministry for the Ecological and Solidary Transition, and the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

General areas of responsibility

You will work at the Ifremer Center of La Seyne-sur-mer (near Toulon, France) and will be registered as a PhD student at the “Sea and Science” doctoral school of the University of Toulon. This Ifremer thesis is done in collaboration with the COSMER and the LIRMM (see descriptions below).

The PRAO (Positioning, Robotics, Acoustics, Optics) team of Ifremer’s Underwater System Unit conducts research and development work on the sensors and controllers embedded on the French Oceanographic Fleet’s underwater robots and ensures the processing of the resulting data.

The RMMAT team (Mobile, Marine, Amphibious, Maritime and Terrestrial Robotics) of the COSMER Laboratory (COnception de Systèmes Mécaniques et Robotiques) focuses its research on the mobility and autonomy of robotic systems in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Its activities focus on mechanical modeling, mechatronic design, control and computer vision.

The LIRMM (Laboratory for Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics, University of Montpellier/CNRS) develops a part of its research activities in the field of marine robotics for more than 25 years, especially in remote sensing (computer vision and sonar) and in control.

Summary

This thesis concerns the automated robotic exploration of an unknown submersed 3D structure. The goal is to develop a navigation algorithm for the autonomous mapping of a 3D structure to perform its photogrammetric modeling, while maintaining a high level of safety for the underwater robot.

Existing Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) methods have demonstrated the feasibility of localizing a robot and mapping its surrounding environment using monocular vision only [Ferrera 2019]. Furthermore, acquisition systems combining both vision and sonar have also been used successfully [Mallios 2016]. However, in the first case, the robot was piloted by a human operator, while in the second case, the sensors were carried by a diver in an underwater cave.

In this thesis, we propose to combine the progressive mapping of the environment with the guidance of the vehicle in order to guarantee both the completeness of the mapping and its quality in terms of compliance with photogrammetric constraints (contrast, sharpness, luminosity, color spectrum…).

For this purpose, the method developed during the thesis should generate safe trajectories [Vidal 2020], while optimizing the photogrammetric criteria.

During the three years of the thesis, you will work on :

  • the models of sonars and cameras, as well as on the associated 3D modeling techniques,
  • the modeling of underwater robots and guidance methods respecting the robots’ dynamic constraints,
  • the implementation of algorithms in a simulated environment and on real robots,
  • experiments in a pool with known artificial 3D structures, then at sea on natural structures or shipwrecks,
  • writing technical documents, as well as scientific papers in English,
  • participating in national and international conferences and workshops.

[Mallios 2016] Mallios, A., Ridao, P., Ribas, D., Carreras, M. and Camilli, R. (2016), Toward Autonomous Exploration in Confined Underwater Environments. J. Field Robotics, 33: 994-1012.

[Ferrera 2019] Maxime Ferrera, Julien Moras, Pauline Trouvé-Peloux, and Vincent Creuze, “Real-Time Monocular Visual Odometry for Turbid and Dynamic Underwater Environments”, Sensors, MDPI, Vol. 19, issue 3, article n°687, special issue on Intelligent Underwater Systems: Sensing, Communication, Networking and Applications, 20 pages, Feb. 8, 2019.

[Vidal 2020] Eduard Vidal, Narcis Palomeras, Klemen Istenic, Nuno Gracias, Marc Carreras,  “Multisensor online 3D view planning for autonomous underwater exploration”, Journal of Field Robotics ,37 (6), p. 1123-1147, May 2, 2020.

Key words

Computer vision, signal processing, underwater robotics, control and guidance of underwater vehicles.

Required Knowledge, skills, and characteristics

You must have a Master’s degree or equivalent (engineer).

You should have strong skills in image and signal processing, as well as in mobile robotics. You should also have a solid background in mathematics, simulation and coding (Python, C/C++, Linux, ROS).

One would also appreciate a good research methodology and very good skill in scientific English writing. You should also be attracted by both theoretical and experimental works.

Specific working conditions

  • Your office will be at the Ifremer Center of La Seyne-sur-mer (near Toulon).
  • The thesis may necessitate short term travels in France and abroad.
  • The thesis includes pool experiments, as well as some experiments at sea.

Phd is a real opportunity to work on Ifremer’s scientific and technological priority themes. It entitles the holder to a gross monthly salary of 2300 euros gross for a period of 3 years, which cannot be combined with other scholarships.

How to apply for this position ?

Your application file must include :

  • a curriculum vitae
  • a covering letter
  • a reference letter
  • academic transcripts (Bachelor + Master 1 and first semester Master 2)

Your application must be compiled into 2 PDF files, up to 3 MB for each file:

Please upload your application files on this page (this step is mandatory for your application to be considered) and send a copy of all the documents to the thesis supervisors : maxime.ferrera@ifremer.fr , vincent.hugel@univ-tln.fr , claire.dune@univ-tln.fr , vincent.creuze@lirmm.fr

The deadline for applications is April 23rd, 2023. Nevertheless, we strongly urge you to let us know as soon as possible of your intention to apply, by contacting the subject supervisor.

Doctoral students’ contracts will start as of October 2nd, 2023, subject to the submission of administrative documents authorizing Ifremer to recruit the doctoral student (certificate of completion of the Master 2 or engineering degree + visa for foreign doctoral students outside the EU).

Deadline for applications: 23/04/2023

Further information can be found in here.