Postdoctoral Researcher

Postdoctoral Scholar – Autonomous Under-Canopy Drone Systems

Advanced Forestry Systems Laboratory (AFSL)

College of Forestry, Oregon State University

The Advanced Forestry Systems Laboratory (AFSL) at Oregon State University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to develop next-generation autonomous under-canopy drone systems for precision forestry. The research focuses on enabling UAVs to operate autonomously in GNSS-denied forest environments using advanced robotics, AI, and multi-sensor perception.

Research Focus

* Autonomous UAV navigation in forest environments

* Visual-LiDAR-Inertial SLAM

* AI-based perception and obstacle avoidance

* Sensor fusion (LiDAR, cameras, IMU, GNSS)

* Forest digital twins and 3D mapping

* Autonomous forest inventory and environmental monitoring

Required Qualifications

* Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Forestry Engineering, Remote Sensing, AI, or a related field.

* Strong programming skills in C++ and Python.

* Experience with ROS2, autonomous robotics, or UAV systems.

* Experience in one or more of the following:

* Computer Vision (OpenCV, Deep Learning)

* LiDAR/Visual SLAM

* AI and Machine Learning (PyTorch or TensorFlow)

* Sensor Fusion and State Estimation

* PX4/ArduPilot and autonomous flight systems

Preferred Qualifications

* Under-canopy UAV navigation

* LiDAR point cloud processing

* NVIDIA Jetson or edge AI computing

* Outdoor robotics and field experiments

* Scientific publications in robotics, AI, or autonomous systems

Why Join AFSL?

* Develop cutting-edge autonomous drone technologies for forestry.

* Access state-of-the-art UAV, LiDAR, and sensing platforms.

* Collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers in robotics, AI, and precision forestry.

* Publish high-impact research and contribute to nationally and internationally funded projects.