Engineer Electrical Engineering, Information Technology or similar (f/m/x) - Development of an Urban-Ground-Based-Augmentation-System (U-GBAS) for urban air mobility

Within the scope of various projects, our institute is developing new methods for reliable navigation to enable autonomous urban air mobility (UAM, e.g., air-taxis) or autonomous driving of other modes of transport. These vehicles typically operate in environments such as urban environments, where classical radio-based positioning methods (satellite navigation, mobile radio-based navigation) are subject to strong errors such as shadowing and multipath effects.

Ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) is a powerful augmentation system to provide real-time differential corrections for GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) signals for the purpose of aircraft landings with high accuracy and high integrity. However, the requirement as well as the environment in urban vertiports is quite different from the protected deployment area for GBAS at airports. For example, the deployment site should be more compact and flexible in cities. In addition, due to size and cost constraints, the scale and quality of sensors and antennas applied may not be as high as for conventional aviation applications. The accuracy requirement for UAM applications is higher compared to classical aeronautical applications, so GNSS position determination using carrier phase measurements may be required. However, ensuring the integrity of carrier-phase-based positioning is a major challenge. An innovative U-GBAS system will address the above challenges and provide solutions.

Based on the ongoing research on the aforementioned topic at the institute, you will significantly contribute to the development and analysis of high-reliability methods for U-GBAS. Your tasks will include in detail:

• investigating the impact of sensor and antenna equipment quality and size on GBAS performance
• investigation and modelling of multipath effects in urban environments on GBAS performance
• development and analysis of methods for modelling and monitoring specific measurement errors in urban environments
• development and analysis of innovative methods to monitor the integrity of carrier-based positioning
• development of innovative methods to provide the corrections from a moving station, e.g. from a hovering drone
• development and implementation of a suitable simulation/evaluation environment using programming language such as C/C++ and Python
• implementation of the developed methods in a hardware demonstrator to demonstrate the performance in measurement campaigns.

We offer you a very good working atmosphere in a successful research and development group, state-of-the-art equipment and an environment with national and international collaborations. You will work in an international team and develop forward-looking results. Opportunities for professional development (e.g. PhD, PMP Project Management) are given.

Your qualifications:

• Master's or Diploma degree in electrical engineering or in a comparable subject area with a grade of "good" or better.
• solid knowledge of mathematics and statistics
• good knowledge of satellite navigation and estimation theory
• knowledge in the field of differential satellite navigation
• good knowledge of the programming languages C/C++, Python and Matlab
• very good English language skills
• ideally good knowledge of carrier-phase-based positioning
• experience in working on hardware or programming on an embedded computer is a plus
• good German language skills are desirable

Your benefits:

Look forward to a fulfilling job with an employer who appreciates your commitment and supports your personal and professional development. Our unique infrastructure offers you a working environment in which you have unparalleled scope to develop your creative ideas and accomplish your professional objectives. Our human resources policy places great value on a healthy family and work-life-balance as well as equal opportunities for persons of all genders (f/m/x). Individuals with disabilities will be given preferential consideration in the event their qualifications are equivalent to those of other candidates.