Université de Sherbrooke SAFiR Lab PhD Opportunity in Autonomous Multi-Robot Systems
SAFiR Lab, Université de Sherbrooke
The SAFiR Lab at Université de Sherbrooke is recruiting a PhD candidate to develop autonomous heterogeneous multi-robot teams for complex real-world environments. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
The Sherbrooke Autonomous Field Robotics (SAFiR) Lab at Université de Sherbrooke is seeking a PhD candidate to advance heterogeneous teams of aerial, ground and aquatic robots beyond simulation and into demanding field environments.
The research covers shared mapping of complex environments, intelligent decision-making under intermittent communications, and mission planning under constrained energy and computing resources. Related topics include robust perception, SLAM, adaptive navigation, multi-modal sensing and coordination for inspection, sampling or object-search missions.
The work will take place at the Institut interdisciplinaire d'innovation technologique (3IT) in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with access to field robots and advanced simulation, design, measurement and control facilities.
Funding note: the official Université de Sherbrooke project page says funding is to be discussed. Applicants should confirm the stipend, tuition treatment, duration and other financial terms directly with the research team before accepting an offer.
Application route: submit the SAFiR Lab expression-of-interest form. The lab states that this form is not a formal application to Université de Sherbrooke; selected candidates must also follow the university's official admission process.
Source and verification
Check the current official call before applying
Recorded source check: August 4, 2026. A stored check date does not guarantee that every field is complete or still current. Compare the provider, eligibility, funding and deadline with the live official call before applying.
Benefits
- Doctoral research in a growing autonomous field robotics laboratory.
- Work with heterogeneous aerial, ground, surface and underwater robotic platforms.
- Access to 3IT facilities and advanced simulation, design, measurement and control tools.
- Funding may be available, but the official amount and coverage must be discussed with the supervisor.
Eligibility summary
- Applicants seeking doctoral research in autonomous robotics, field robotics or closely related areas.
- International candidates may express interest; immigration status, tuition and university admission requirements still apply.
- Candidates should be able to work in a multidisciplinary research team and be interested in real-world field experiments.
- Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution. The lab's form says a PhD thesis may be written in English and asks applicants to review the current language requirements.
Requirements
- Strong foundation in autonomous mobile robotics, including perception, localisation, mapping, planning, control or multi-robot systems.
- Solid mathematics, including linear algebra, optimisation and probability.
- High proficiency in C++, Python, ROS 2, Linux and Git.
- Knowledge of computer vision, multi-modal sensing, deep learning, reinforcement learning, embedded systems or distributed computing is valuable.
- Experience deploying real robotic hardware, contributing to open source, publishing at ICRA, IROS or RA-L, or applying foundation models to robotics is an advantage.
Documents required
- Curriculum vitae.
- Academic transcripts.
- Portfolio or GitHub profile showing relevant work.
- One-page research statement.
- Any additional information requested in the current SAFiR Lab form or formal Université de Sherbrooke admission process.
Language/test requirements
How to submit applications
Provider: SAFiR Lab, Université de Sherbrooke
Complete the SAFiR Lab expression-of-interest form first. It is not the formal Université de Sherbrooke admission application. If selected, follow the university's official admission process as directed by the lab.
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