Master thesis - Adaptive Lateral Control of Automated Trucks

Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match. 

At Volvo Autonomous Solutions, we work together to realize autonomous solutions that will defy conventions and take us to the future. With entirely new business models and advanced technology, we will meet and exceed expectations from customers and contribute to a society that we want to live in. We are unified by diversity, great ideas and inclusiveness. Our colleagues are the most important part of our story so every member in our team matters and plays a critical role in our journey to success.

Thesis Scope and Expected Outcomes

Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) develops systems for automated hauling operations in quarries and open pit mines using Volvo trucks.  One important component in this system is the automated vehicle itself, which is tasked with moving payloads between different places on the site.  Among the systems operating onboard the vehicle, the motion controllers are active at all times and keep the vehicle on the road.

A big challenge for the motion controllers is to handle variations in the vehicle behavior –  between vehicles, locations and over time. Differences between vehicle individuals stem from e.g., variations in manufacturing, calibration and sensor mountings and individual state of wear. At the same time, the vehicles operate on both asphalt and gravel roads in all seasons and are exposed to dry, icy, wet and muddy conditions, leading to large variations in behavior between different days and months.

However, it is desired that the closed loop system behavior remains consistent over time. This presents a problem with regards to controller tuning. To avoid the need for labor intensive, repeated controller calibrations on site, a certain degree of self-calibration, adaptivity or “learning” is desired.

In this master thesis, you are tasked with performing an evaluation of suitable methods for adaptivity of the lateral controllers onboard the vehicles. The work can include:

• Doing a literature survey on the use of such controllers within similar application domains, noting in particular methods that can use that the vehicles move in repetitive patterns.
• Evaluating in depth a select number of methods using e.g. prototype implementations and simulation study
• Implementing at least one method to work within the onboard system
• Evaluation in simulation, including digital twins of real production sites
• Test-track evaluation on V.A.S. mockup quarry site at Asta Zero.

Who are we?

During the thesis work, you will be a part of the Driver team at V.A.S. who are responsible for the development of on-board decision-making and control functions. We are a group of 17 developers with varying backgrounds and seniority, albeit with a center of gravity towards automatic control. The work environment is friendly and helpful and our day-to-day work comprises both in-office development and in-vehicle testing.

Who are you?

We believe that you are a last year student with a strong background in automatic control and/or applied mathematics, and that you are used to programming in Python. It is a great benefit if you also have experience with modern C++ and a great plus if you are somewhat familiar with adaptive control, numerical optimization and machine learning.

Why Join Us?

This thesis project offers you a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, contributing to safer and more reliable systems in challenging environments. You will have access to cutting-edge tools and the chance to collaborate with experts in the field, gaining valuable experience that will set you up for a successful career in software and automotive engineering.

We are an equal opportunity employer with office locations in Sweden and in the US. Whoever and wherever you are we strive to offer you flexibility and work-life balance to enable high engagement and fulfillment in both your professional and personal life.

Seems great, doesn’t it? In our team, we definitely think so!

We can promise you great colleagues and some truly exciting opportunities for both professional and personal growth, and we are eager to receive your application letter, academic transcript and CV in English.

Last application date: 10th of October

We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail. 

Who we are and what we believe in 
We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities.

Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group. Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. ​We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. ​We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment. 

Part of Volvo Group, Volvo Autonomous Solutions accelerates the development, commercialization and sales of autonomous transport solutions, focusing on defined segments for the on- and off-road space. The combination of strong tech expertise and skilled customer solutions creates innovative transport offers never seen before. We are constantly pushing our own skills and ability to drive change in a traditional industry to meet a growing customer demand. We are now looking for innovative, committed individuals to join us in our endeavor to create customer solutions that enhance safety, flexibility and productivity.