Two leading robotics research units at Tampere University - the Department of Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering and the Signal Processing Research Center - are launching an ambitious large‑scale research project on autonomous mobile robots for extreme environments. The project aims to create the next generation of robots capable of reliable, long‑term autonomous operation in challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions, such as Finnish winter forests. Our research combines cutting‑edge robotic hardware, locomotion and control, perception, and artificial intelligence in close interdisciplinary collaboration. We are now recruiting highly motivated PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who want to work at the forefront of robotics research and make a real‑world impact.
We seek highly motivated researchers with a strong background in robotics, automation, signal processing, machine learning, control, or related fields. Ideal candidates enjoy interdisciplinary work spanning theory, algorithms, hardware, and real‑world experiments, and are motivated by challenging environments. We value initiative, creativity, solid analytical and programming skills, and a collaborative mindset. Prior experience in mobile robotics, perception, or AI is an advantage, but enthusiasm for cutting‑edge research is essential.
The doctoral candidates will be supervised by principal investigators from the Units of Signal Processing and Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering. Our research broadly covers computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and control, addressing a wide range of problems in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. More information about our research is available on the webpages linked below (accessible by clicking the images).
During this project, we develop new technology for small autonomous ground vehicles. The project consists of 7 PhD students (or postdocs) and multiple research assistants. The main objective is to develop vehicles that can move autonomously in rough terrains, such as forests in Finland, and under harsh weather conditions, such as winter in Finland. Due to the extreme challenge, the project includes all parts of robot design:
Tampere University is the leading university in engineering and technology in Finland.
The Signal Processing at Tampere University has 170 members of which 30-40% are of foreign origin. The department has held the prestiguous status of a Center of Excellence in Research (CoE) elected by the Finnish Academy of Sciences. Core areas of research include image, video and audio signal processing and analysis as well as machine learning related topics. The institute is also part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) that provides a strong network of the best European researchers.
The starting salary of a PhD student is ca. 2400 EUR per month and it will increase during the studies depending on the progress (up to 3100 EUR per month). The salary for a postdoctoral researcher starts typically from 3500 EUR per month, and increases based on experience.
In addition to the salary, the contract includes occupational healthcare benefits, and Finland has a comprehensive social security system. The positions are located at Aalto University and Tampere University.
The applications are submitted to the application portals of the corresponding universities/institutes. We highly recommend you to apply through all portals, even if you have a clear preference on which position you prefer, this can be decided later in any case.
The links to the application portals:
If you have any questions regarding the positions or the applications, please contact the listed PIs.
