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Thesis Work: Auto-docking for Marine Surface Vessels

ABB Inc.
United States, North Carolina, Cary
305 Gregson Drive (Show on map)
Oct 18, 2025
At ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world. This Position reports to: R&D Team Lead Details Period: January-June 2026, 5 months Number of credits:30 ECTS per student Number of students for this thesis work: 1-2 Location: On-site ABB Corporate Research in Vasteras - ABB may cover the accommodation Your role and responsibilities Marine vessels are rapidly becoming increasingly autonomous, and an important next step is the development of algorithms for automated docking in ports. Unlike general path planning and trajectory following, docking operations are performed at low speeds but instead require very high precision. Additionally, predicting the motion of surrounding traffic is generally more difficult in a port environment than in open water, as vessels can stop, reverse, or change direction abruptly based on operational needs. The main task of this project is to develop a reliable system that enables a vessel to dock at a berth with minimal or no human intervention. While standard onboard sensors, such as GNSS, IMU, cameras, and LiDAR, will provide important input within port environments as well, the docking phase can benefit from integrating additional port-side sensors to reach the required levels of accuracy. Goals: Method for planning collision-free docking paths Precise low-speed trajectory tracking Evaluation in a simulation environment Example research topics: What accuracy can be expected from an automated docking system, and how fast can the docking be performed? What computational efforts would be required to run such a system in real time? What supplementary sensory information can be used for automated maneuvering in ports? How to transition smoothly from a system for voyage operations to one tailored towards docking? Qualifications for the role Knowledge in automatic control, signal processing, robotics, optimization, machine learning, applied mathematics, or a related field Motivated to solve real-world problems using state-of-the-art methods Good programming skills (e.g., in MATLAB/Simulink or Python) Self-driven Solution-oriented mindset More about us Recruiting Manager Linus Thrybom, +46730 80 9906, will answer your questions regarding hiring. Supervisor Fredrik Ljungberg (fredrik.ljungberg@se.abb.com) will answer questions about the thesis topic and expectations. Positions are filled continuously. Please apply with your CV, academic transcripts, and a cover letter in English. We look forward to receiving your application! Join us. Be part of the team where progress happens, industries transform, and your work shapes the world. Run What Runs the World. A Future Opportunity Please note that this position is part of our talent pipeline and not an active job opening at this time. By applying, you express your interest in future career opportunities with ABB. We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to learn more about us and see the impact of our work across the globe.