Postdoctoral Research Associate - Robotics and Navigation

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Robotics and Navigation

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Robotics and Navigation who will focus on developing an autonomous underground exploration and mapping robotic platform. The successful candidate will (1) integrate heterogeneous sensors and onboard computing hardware; (2) develop methods for LiDAR-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), autonomous navigation, trajectory planning, and point cloud mapping; and (3) deploy the developed algorithms on a physical mobile robot operating in GPS-denied, low-light, and geometrically repetitive environments.

The candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary researchers in robotics, surveying, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence. This on-site position resides in the Building Envelope Materials Research Group in the Building Technologies Research Section, Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Energy Science and Technology Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Design and implement a modular ROS 2 software architecture for onboard sensing, autonomy, mapping, data logging, launch management, and configuration management.
• Develop and integrate ROS 2 drivers and hardware interfaces for LiDAR, inertial measurement units, RGB or stereo cameras, wheel odometry, survey-grade laser scanners, and additional sensing systems.
• Develop robust procedures for sensor calibration, coordinate-frame management, timestamp synchronization, and data acquisition across heterogeneous devices.
• Develop and evaluate multi-sensor localization and state-estimation methods that fuse LiDAR, IMU, camera, and wheel-odometry data in GPS-denied, low-light environments.
• Implement LiDAR-based or LiDAR-inertial SLAM, factor-graph or pose-graph optimization, loop-closure validation, drift estimation, and drift-correction methods for long trajectories in environments with limited and repetitive geometric features.
• Develop autonomous navigation capabilities, including path planning, obstacle avoidance, autonomous exploration, frontier selection, and localization-aware trajectory planning.
• Develop high accuracy point cloud registration and mapping workflows.
• Plan and conduct experiments on physical robotic systems.
• Establish quantitative measures for localization drift, mapping accuracy, and navigation reliability.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and communicate findings through technical reports and presentations.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field obtained in the last five years.
• Demonstrated experience developing robotic systems using ROS 2.
• Hands-on experience integrating sensors, actuators, computing hardware, or communications interfaces on a mobile robotic platform.
• Demonstrated research or development experience in one or more of the following areas: automated controls, SLAM, autonomous navigation, or trajectory planning.
• Experience integrating hardware, deploying, and evaluating algorithms on physical robots.
• Proficiency in Python, modern C++, and Linux-based development environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with point cloud processing and registration using libraries such Open3D or equivalent.
• Experience with LiDAR-based or LiDAR-inertial SLAM, high-accuracy point cloud mapping, or scan-to-scan registration.
• Experience with ROS 2 navigation stack, lifecycle-managed nodes, TF2, rosbag workflows, and distributed system diagnostics.
• Experience with CUDA and deployment on NVIDIA edge-GPU platforms (Jetson Orin, Thor, or Spark).
• Experience calibrating and synchronizing LiDAR, IMU, camera, and wheel-odometry systems.
• Experience with underground, off-road, subterranean, or other unstructured-environment robotics and field testing.
• Experience with Docker for containerization and deployment.
• A strong publication record in robotics, controls, autonomous systems, sensor fusion, mapping, or a related area.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

Special Requirements:

• Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment.
• The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and…