Open Student Thesis Offers

HAL4SDV - Systems Safety Security Software

HAL4SDV, or the Hardware Abstraction Layer for Software-Defined Vehicles, is a European research initiative aimed at revolutionizing the automotive industry by developing a standardized hardware-software integration framework.

This project supports the transition to Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), where software plays a central role in vehicle functionality, allowing for over-the-air updates, modular design, and enhanced customization.

Key goals of HAL4SDV include:

• Creating a unified interface between vehicle hardware and software to simplify development processes.
• Enabling faster deployment of new features and ensuring high safety and performance standards.
• Supporting both safety-critical and general-purpose vehicle applications.
• Enhancing collaboration across European countries to build a comprehensive SDV ecosystem.

We are looking for eager and motivated students to work on the following topics:

• Implementation of Fact-checking pipelines for LLMs

Application of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Systems in Standard Compliance

We are looking for a self-motivated student to work on extracting test scenario for autonomous driving research using RAG system:

• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Comparison of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Systems for Extracting Test Scenarios from UN Regulations

We have other open topics in the domain of Large Language Models in autonomous driving software development and we also accept open proposals or ideas with yourselves. For more information, please contact Vahid Zolfaghari.

Embodied AI and Foundation Model

• [SA/BA/MA]: Robotic Lifelong Reinforcement Learning
• [SA/BA/MA]: Development of GPU Accelerated Robotic Reinforcement Learning Benchmark

 

Neural SLAM and Biomimetic Rodent Robot

• [MA/BA] Design and Control of a Rat Robot with Actuated Spine and Ribs
• [MA/BA] Biologically Plausible Spatial Navigation (NeuralSLAM)
• [MA/BA] Brain-inspired Localization and Mapping based on LiDAR Sensor
• [MA/BA] Pathological gait generation for rat robot with spine-based damage control
• [MA/BA] Rewiring the CPG controller during rat robot error behaviors

For more information about this topic, please contact Zhenshan Bing and Florian Walter.

Reinforcement Learning, Representation Learning, Meta-RL and Robotics

Three of our DEMOs can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/kuka-environment/ , https://sites.google.com/view/cemrl, and https://videoviewsite.wixsite.com/rlsnake.

1. Meta-RL:
   • Context-based Meta-Reinforcement Learning with Bayesian Nonparametric Models
   • Exploiting DATA Symmetries in Context-Based Meta-Reinforcement Learning
   • [BA/MA] Meta Reinforcement Learning in Dynamic Environment 
2. RL:
   • [BA/MA] Complex Robotic Manipulation via Actionable Representation Learning Guided Exploration 
   • [BA/MA] Imitation Learning via Demonstratio 
3. Language-conditioned Meta-RL: 
   • ​​​​[BA/MA] Language-conditioned Meta-reinforcement Learning for Multi-manipulation tasks
   • [MA] Improve Robot Performance via the in-context ability of Vision-language Models
4. Safety Control for Robotic Manipulator
   • [BA/MA] Safe Robotic Manipulation Control with TENG Sensor and Control Barrier function Based on Machine Learning

We have several other open topics in the domain of reinforcement learning in robotics and we also accept open proposals or ideas with yourselves. For more information, please contact Zhenshan Bing.

SOW-Risk-based Safety Autonomous Driving Research

I am looking for highly self-motivated students to work on risk-based safety autonomous driving research. The topics include:

• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 1: LLM for safety-critical scenario generation for autonomous vehicles.
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 2: Bayesian networks for real-time risk assessment in ADS.
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 3: Risk quantification for automated driving systems based on SOTIF (ISO 21448), Responsibility Sensitive Safety (RSS), and Safety Force Field (SFF).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 4: Uncertainty estimation for autonomous driving perception.
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 5: Modality-Incomplete autonomous driving perception (e.g., sensor failure).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 6: Autonomous driving perception based on adverse weather image restoration.

We also have several other open topics in robotics and welcome proposals or ideas from your side. For more information, please contact Dr. rer. nat. Hu Cao.

CoCoRo - Collaborative Construction Robots

[MA/GR] Intent Detection and Communication for Robots on Construction Sites

KI.FABRIK: Future AI & Robotic Factory

 1. Dual/Multi-Robot Collaboration for Cable Manipulation:

• Motion Planning and Collision Avoidance in Dual-arm Manipulation of Deformable Linear Objects
• Multi-robot Collaboration in Cable Handling (co-advisory with iwb)
• [New!] Contact Estimation through Sensor Fusion

 2. Path Planning:

• Path Planning Algorithms via Open Motion Planning Library (OMPL)
• DARKO - Mobile Robot Manipulator Simulation and Trajectory Planning
• Visualization of the mobile robot manipulator for the DARKO project

 3. Obstacle Avoidance:

• Algorithms for Multiple Dynamic/Static Obstacle Avoidance

• Obstacle Avoidance Algorithms for Robotic Manipulators in Multi-Obstacle Environment

 4. Visual Servoing Control:

• Deep Reinforcement Learning Enhanced Image-based Visual Servoing for Robotic Manipulators

 5. Knowledge Graphs with Foundation Models

• [MA]Leveraging Knowledge Graphs for Enhanced Multi-Modality Foundation Models

 6. Dynamics Learning:

• Data-Driven Identification and Model Reduction of Dynamic Model

Systems and Software Engineering

Our group provides a range of topics related to systems and software engineering with applications in robotics and automotive.

Currently, the following thesis proposals are open:

• [SA/MA] 3DGS-based SLAM in Dynamic Systems: Improving Dynamic Object Filtering and Efficiency.
• [SA/MA] 6-DOF Grasp Planning using Transformer-based Neural Networks.
• [MA] Performance study on transporting large-scale dataset.
• [MA] Automated Design Space Exploration for Automotive Resource Allocation
• [MA] Exploring in-vehicle TIme-Sensitive Network scheduling based on formal requirements 
• [MA] Multi-robot cooperation under signal temporal logic
• [MA] From Natural language to Formal Automotive Architectural Requirements and Vice Versa

Autonomous Driving, Robotic Grasping, and Dense Prediction

I am looking for highly self-motivated students to work on projects related to autonomous driving, robotic grasping, and dense prediction (classification, detection, and segmentation). The topics include:

• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 1: Vision language model for robotic grasp pose estimation (4D and 6D).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 2: Object detection and semantic segmentation for autonomous driving.
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 3: Multi-modal or multi-sensor fusion for robust object perception (2D/3D detection, segmentation, depth estimation, end-to-end autonomous driving, etc.).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 4: Correspondence-free absolute pose estimation algorithm (point cloud registration or globally optimal algorithms).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 5: Large language model and vision language model for robotics (autonomous vehicles or robotic grasping).
• [GR/FP/IDP/SA/BA/MA/etc.] Topic 6: Medical image segmentation.

We also have several other open topics in robotics and welcome proposals or ideas from your side. For more information, please contact Dr. rer. nat. Hu Cao.

Connected Vehicles Simulations

There are a couple of interesting thesis topics in Simulation of Connected Vehicles. Feel free to write to me at nagacharan.tangirala@tum.de

• Edge Server Placement
• Federated Learning Simulations for Vehicles

AUTOtech.agil - Future of Autonomous Driving and Intelligent Traffic Infrastructure

• [MA/GR/BA] Visual Language Model in Autonomous Driving
• [MA/GR/BA] Domain Adaptation of Synthetic Data for 3D Traffic Environment Perception 
• Real-Time and Robust 3D Object Detection on the Autonomous Driving Test Stretch Using LiDAR Point Cloud Data
• Real-Time and Multi-Modal 3D Object Detection on the Autonomous Driving Test Stretch Using Camera and LiDAR Sensors
• Deep Traffic Scenario Mining, Detection, Classification and Generation on the Autonomous Driving Test Stretch using the CARLA Simulator
• Automated Camera Stabilization and Calibration for Intelligent Transportation Systems

Spiking Neural Networks - Next Generation AI for Autonomous Driving

At the KI-ASIC project we are researching about the application of bio-inspired neural networks to real-world applications.

If you are interested in learning about neuroscience and how neuromorphic engineering is trying to narrow the gap between biology an technology, do not hesitate to contact us.

Available:

• [MA|GR] Implementation of a novel Spiking Neural Network on Neuromorphic Hardware

Previous topics:

• [BA|MA|GR] Efficient radar collision detection on neuromorphic hardware

Whisker-Inspired Tactile Sensor and Biomimetic Rodent Robot

We aim to build a flexiable, light-weight tactile sensor based on the biological structure of rodent's vibrissae, and apply them on the robot arm, biomimetic rodent robot and other platform to provide perception and self-estimate ability.

Sensor Design and Contact Estimate:

• [MA|SA|BA] Dynamic Contact Estimate along A Whisker-inspired Tactile Sensor.
• [MA|SA|BA] Reconstruction of Contacts in Search Space from A Whisker Sensor Array.

Others:

• [MA|SA|BA] Contour Reconstruction on Unstructured Environments via Active Tactile Sensing 
• [MA|SA|BA] Tactile SLAM and Bio-inspired Navigation based on Whisker Sensor for Rodent Robot

For more information about this topic, please contact Yixuan Dang.

CeCaS: Autonomous driving - Systems and Software Engineering

As part of the research project CeCaS, a group has come up to build a new system architecture for future vehicles
with a focus on autonomous driving.

• [MA] Automated Design Space Exploration for Automotive Resource Allocation
• [MA] Exploring in-vehicle TIme-Sensitive Network scheduling based on formal requirements 

Reinforcement Learning with Diffusion Models

There are a few simulation oriented Bachelor and Master thesis in the following topics. If you are interested, feel free to contact us at erdi.sayar@tum.de

• Leveraging Diffusion Processes and Invariant Transformations to Improve Sample Efficiency in Deep Reinforcement Learning 
• Evolving Soft Robots Via Diffusion models
• Generating curriculum via Decision Transformer in Maze and Robotics environments

 

Simulation-Based Learning Control for Real-World Robotic Manipulation and Navigation

• [BA/MA/GR/IDP] Comparative Sim2Real Path Planning for AGV Navigation

• [BA/MA/GR/IDP] Photorealistic Rendering and Simulation in Robotics with Unity contact: Josip Josifovski

For more information about other available topics in reinforcement learning, data-driven control and sim2real transfer, please contact Hossein Malmir.

DeepSLAM: Deep Learning based Localization and Mapping (Vision-based Perception and Navigation)

• [MA/BA/GR] DeepSLAM: Deep Learning based Localization and Mapping
• [MA/BA/GR] Simultaneous Localization and Mapping in Dynamic Environments

Autonomous Vehicles

The Cyber Physical Systems group is pursuing a wide range of research directions related to safe decision making, motion planning and control for autonomous vehicles, involving both formal methods, sampling- and optimization-based methods as well as deep learning-based methods.

Currently, the following thesis proposals are open:

• [MA] Real-time Motion Planning for Autonomous Driving
• [GR/MA] Learning Model Predictive Robustness of Probabilistic Signal Temporal Logic
• [BA/MA] Encoding the Future: Deep Representations for Traffic using Graph Neural Networks
• [BA/MA] Learning Isometric Embeddings of Road Networks using Multidimensional Scaling
• [MA] Deep Multi-Step Planning for Autonomous Driving
• [MA] Graph Neural Networks for Deep Behavior Prediction in Traffic Scenes
• [BA/SA] Development of a Route Planner for Autonomous Driving
• [MA/SA] Development of a Negotiation Algorithm for Multi-Agent Driving in the Context of Falsification
• [MA] Deep learning-based scene-aware behavior velocity planing for autonomous vehicles

Safe Reinforcement Learning in Single Robot and Multi-Robot Systems

• [MA/BA] Safe Massively Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
• [MA/BA] Multi-Robot Manipulation and Navigation with Safe Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning 

We have several topics about Reinforcement Learning, Robotics,  Autonomous Driving and AI Safety, for more information, please contact Shangding Gu.

Safe Reinforcement Learning in Robotics

Currently open positions:

• [MA] Ensuring Human Safety for AI-based Robot Control in ROS 2

Additionally, we will have open topics in safe reinforcement learning for manipulators and mobile platforms in the future.
If you are interested in these topics, you can contact: jakob (dot) thumm (at) tum.de

Modular Robotics

For interest in a BA/MA thesis in machine learning for modular robotics, please contact Jonathan Kuelz or Matthias Mayer.

Currently open:

• [MA] Predictive Safety Certification for HumanRobot Interaction
• [MA/SA/BA] Efficient Path Planning for Modular Robots
• [MA/SA/BA] Solving Real-world Robotics Tasks within 3D Scans

Robust and Nonlinear Motion Planning & Control

• [MA] Safe and Efficient Inspection of Power Lines using UAVs
• [MA] Robust Control of Linear Systems with Uncertain Parameters
• [MA] Safety Certification for Learning-Based Control

Formal Methods and Reachability Analysis

• [BA or MA] Data-driven Identification of Uncertainty Sets for Autonomous Systems
• [BA or MA] Uniform Trajectory Planning for Cyber-Physical Systems
• [BA or MA] Optimization-based Verification of Cyber-Physical Systems
• [MA] Ensuring Safety of Large-Scale Structures
• [MA] Exploiting Mixed-Monotonicity in Reachability Analysis
• [MA] Errors of Trajectories for Autonomous Vehicles and Cyber-Physical Systems

Offline Reinforcement Learning

[Research internship] Mastering the game of Skat using decision transformers

Safe Reinforcement Learning, Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

• [BA/MA]: Provably Safe Reinforcement Learning Control of a Quadrotor

Reinforcement Learning for Safe and Efficient Combustion Engine Control

Neurorobotics in the Human Brain Project

• Developmental Body Modeling in Soft Robotics
• Cloud-Based Robotics for Machine Learning
• Virtual Neurorobotics with Intel Loihi
• Spiking Compliant Robot Control with Intel Loihi
• Integration of the Neural Simulator NEST into the Neurorobotics Platform
• Deep Spiking Q-Networks
• Autonomous Locomotion Control for Snake Robot Based on Bio inspired Vision Sensor and Spiking Neural Network
• Advanced Autonomous Driving Control Based on Bio inspired Vision Sensor and Spiking Neural Network
• Spiking Neural Network for Autonomous Navigation based on LiDAR Sensor
• Deep Spiking Reinforcement Learning
• Learning adaptive target reaching with Recurrent Neural Networks
• Biologically-inspired Perception for Autonomous Vehicles based on LiDAR Sensor

SPEED-CARGO Project

• Knowledge Base and Inference Models for AI-based Optimiza-tion and Control of Air Cargo ProcessesMathematical Programming Models Processes Availability
• Deep learning applied to Real World Robotic System
• Mathematical Programming Models and Optimization for Air Cargo Processes

Machine Learning Algorithms for Hybrid Vehicle Data

Please see this page for the available topics about 3D Object Detection and Tracking.

Autonomous Robot & Visual Servo & Deep Learning & Robot Design & Medical Robotics

For more information, please visit my homepage Mingchuan Zhou or contact me via email (zhoum@in.tum.de).

OSBORNE (Future Automotive E/E Architectures for Autonomous Cars)

We have a set of open topics in the domain of affective computing and multimodal emotion recognition, within the context of OSBORNE project, for more information please contact Sina.

Collaboration with Chair for Product Development and Lightweight Design

• Design and Control of a Humanoid Robot Arm

External thesis proposals

• Masterthesis – Grey-Box Modellierung und Validierung des Motoraufheizverhaltens auf dem Rollenprüfstand und im Fahrzeug mittels Machine Learning
• [Master Thesis or Working Student] LLM for robotics with multi-fingered hand (Agile Robots AG)

Low-level vision

For more information, please visit my homepage (Yuning Cui) or contact me via email (yuning.cui@in.tum.de).