1. General Aim and Objectives

The PARSEC project aims to develop a next-generation situational awareness system for armoured and unmanned vehicles. The system will use visible, thermal infrared, and acoustic sensors to create a full hemispherical (360° + top) view of the vehicle’s surroundings.

By combining AI-based object detection, probabilistic 3D modeling, and edge computing, PARSEC will enable the passive and real-time detection of threats such as drones, persons, and vehicles — even in complex environments where GPS or radar may fail.

The project is supported by the Belgian Defence Research Action (DEFRA) programme.

2. PhD Opportunity at InViLab: AI-powered Camera Systems for Armoured Vehicles

The PhD researcher at InViLab (University of Antwerp) will focus on the design, simulation, and calibration of the distributed multi-camera system that forms the heart of the PARSEC platform.

Key research tasks include:

• Developing a 3D simulation toolbox (based on Blender and Python) to model hemispherical camera coverage and lens imperfections.
• Designing Gaussian Process-based calibration techniques to map 2D camera images into 3D world coordinates with quantified uncertainty.
• Generating and using synthetic datasets to train AI models for threat detection and distance estimation.
• Experimentally validating the system in collaboration with a sensor manufacturer and the Royal Military Academy, including calibration tests, performance evaluation, and data fusion across visible and infrared cameras.
• Publishing research results in top-tier journals and contributing to the open release of anonymized datasets for the research community.

The PhD will work in close collaboration with industrial and defence partners and gain hands-on experience in AI-driven sensor fusion, optical design, and embedded vision systems for real-world applications.

3. Why Apply?

This PhD offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, optical sensing, and defence technology.

By joining InViLab, you will:

• Work in a leading research group in optical and vision-based sensing with strong expertise in probabilistic modeling and multi-sensor calibration.
• Contribute directly to the development of technologies that enhance safety and decision-making in defence and security applications.
• Collaborate with industrial and defence partners, gaining experience in both academic and applied research environments.
• Access state-of-the-art facilities for camera testing and data acquisition, and become part of an interdisciplinary team of engineers, physicists, and AI researchers.
• Benefit from InViLab’s strong international research network and excellent track record of PhD supervision and career development.

📍 Location: InViLab – University of Antwerp, Belgium (Campus Groenenborger)
📅 Duration: 4 years, start date: from 1^st January 2026 on.
🎯 Keywords: Camera calibration, AI, sensor fusion, 3D modeling, defence technology, real-time vision