Master Thesis - Development of Tools for Autonomous, Mechanical Weed Control with Robots

In the Professional Service Robots - Outdoor research group we develop autonomous, mobile robots for a variety of outdoor applications, such as agriculture and forestry. The focus is on the development of an autonomous outdoor navigation solution as well as the hardware of the robots.
To ensure that outdoor robots can be applied in the agricultural sector to create value in accordance with ecological sustainability, they must be enabled to perform tasks such as autonomous mechanical weed control. 
To this end, the research group is developing and refining tools that can remove weeds, especially close to and around the crop, under the constraints of minimizing energy consumption and preserving the intactness of the crop. 

What you will do

Your thesis will deal with the new or further development of tools for the autonomous mechanical removal of weeds in the field. These tools should be used primarily in the intra-row area of the crops, i.e. in their immediate vicinity, as this is where the weeds can cause particularly great damage. 

For the development of the tools, initial prototypes are to be developed in CAD based on analyses and research into existing systems and then evaluated in trial fields. 
The work requires a high degree of initiative, a love of scientific methodology and a desire for practical evaluation processes in real applications.

What you bring to the table

• Background in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics or similar 
• Profound knowledge mechanical design and technical mechanics
• Experience in agriculture is a plus
• Experience with CAD software 
• Enthusiasm for mobile robotics
• Fluent in English or German 

What you can expect

• Cutting-edge technology in the field of outdoor mobile robotics 
• Hands on with our robots on our own test fields in Stuttgart
• Take on responsibility and freedom to implement your own ideas
• Work with the best students in their discipline 
• Familiar atmosphere including Cake Friday

We also offer the possibility of direct entry for excellent graduates.

We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications - regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability. 

With its focus on developing key technologies that are vital for the future and enabling the commercial utilization of this work by business and industry, Fraunhofer plays a central role in the innovation process. As a pioneer and catalyst for groundbreaking developments and scientific excellence, Fraunhofer helps shape society now and in the future. 

If you are interested, please submit a short letter of motivation on your personal favourite topic listed above, CV, current grade transcript to kevin.bregler@ipa.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

Requisition Number: 71230                Application Deadline: