Models of computation for systems of teamed maritime vehicles
It took only a few decades for robotic underwater, surface and air vehicles to revolutionize ocean exploration. But this is just the beginning. Vehicle heterogeneity and functional diversity will enable new teamed capabilities and new concepts of operation that could not have been imagined before. This work will focus on networked vehicle systems in which physical and computational processes evolve and interact over time and space.
The goal is to develop an appropriate model of computation (MoC) for processes that are hosted by a network of vehicles with a dynamic binding of processes to vehicles. Process execution should be resilient/adaptive to changes in the underlying vehicle network that may occur, for instance, due to physical motion, communication topology changes, or vehicle turnover due to limited battery life. A process execution should continue through appropriate state persistence and code migration when required by underlying changes at the vehicle network. Both processes and vehicles may be governed by constraints regarding time, space, and communication. Given an abstract specification for a process and a vehicle network, we should be able to formally assert whether the network is able to realize the behavior of the process.
The project builds on experience of LSTS-UPORTO (https://lsts.fe.up.pt/) in the development and deployment of networked vehicle systems for ocean observation https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/exploring_fronts_with_multiple_aerial-surface-underwater-vehicles/. The proposed developments are applicable to other areas involving exploration and exploitation in remote and communications challenged environments.
Tasks and Responsibilities
- Familiarize yourself with current state-of-the-art in the fields of (1) networked robotics, (2) models of computation for concurrent/distributed systems, (3) formal methods, and (4) software frameworks for networked vehicles.
- Develop the theoretical framework, guided by use-cases and real-world application examples with focus on maritime operations of multi-domain vehicles.
- Develop a prototype system for expressing and verifying/compiling specifications, and its abstract execution.
- Evaluate and test the planning and execution control framework in a simulation environment.
- Deploy the framework on LSTS’s multi-domain vehicles for evaluation and testing in operational environments.
Prerequisites
Candidate must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the following fields: computer science, mechanical/electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related fields. The degree should have been completed in the last 5 years at most. The candidate must have strong analytical skills and be able to work at the intersection of computation and control. Prior experience in autonomous vehicles, concurrent systems theory, formal verification, and related fields will be a plus.
Hiring institution specific remarks:
PhD Enrollment: PhD position at the Laboratório de Sistemas e Tecnologias Subaquática – LSTS (Underwater Systems and Technologies Lab) at FEUP from University of Porto (https://lsts.fe.up.pt/). The project involves collaboration with the DCC/FCUP from University of Porto and the DINF/FCT-UAc from the University of the Azores.
Co-Supervisors
Prof. João Sousa (LSTS/FEUP), contact: jtasso@fe.up.pt, Prof. Eduardo Marques (DCC/FCUP), Prof. Francisco Martins (DINF/FCT-UAc).
Notice of the Call (english version)
Notice of the Call (portuguese version)
We are no longer accepting applications for this scholarship. Thank you.