About the position
About the research centre or Inria department Inria is the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science, of which the Inria Côte d'Azur University Center is a part. With strong expertise in computer science and applied mathematics, the research projects of the Inria Côte d'Azur University Center cover all aspects of digital science and technology and generate innovation. Based mainly in Sophia Antipolis, but also in Nice and Montpellier, it brings together 47 research teams and nine support services. It is active in the fields of artificial intelligence, data science, IT system security, robotics, network engineering, natural risk prevention, ecological transition, digital biology, computational neuroscience, health data, and more. The Inria Center at Université Côte d'Azur is a major player in terms of scientific excellence, thanks to the results it has achieved and its collaborations at both European and international level. Context The ACENTAURI research team (https://team.inria.fr/acentauri/), located at the Inria Center of the Université Côte d'Azur in Sophia-Antipolis, is offering a position as a research engineer in AI for robotics in agriculture and agrifood. ACENTAURI is a robotics team that studies and develops autonomous and intelligent robots that collaborate with each other to perform difficult tasks in complex and dynamic environments. The team addresses perception, decision and control problems for multi-robot collaboration by proposing an original hybrid approach to artificial intelligence based on models and data and by studying efficient algorithms. The team focuses on applications such as multi-robot patrol systems for environmental monitoring and transportation of people and goods. In these applications, multiple robots share multi-sensor information possibly coming from the infrastructure. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is demonstrated on real robotic systems such as cars and drones in collaboration with industrial partners. As part of the European Agrifood-TEF project (January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2028) , the Inria-ACENTAURI team has established a Living Lab (mobile laboratory) to deliver on-site services to SMEs, farmers, and agricultural operators. The project is organized around various national nodes and satellite sites; Inria is part of the French national node. For the past three years, the ACENTAURI AGRIFOODTEF team has focused on configuring the system and services. The remaining two years will be dedicated to service delivery and maintenance. The Living Lab features a multi-robot platform comprising aerial drones and autonomous ground robots that communicate with one another. All robots are equipped with sensors tailored for navigation and specific use cases relevant to SMEs or farmers. The complete system can: Record and georeference data from cameras, LiDAR, and specialized sensors Map the environment Monitor task progress from the Living Lab Process data within the Living Lab using AI-based techniques (model-based, data-driven, or hybrid methods) However, demand from the French startup and SME ecosystem is not currently strong enough to sustain the continuous provision of such services. We have therefore decided to focus our exploration on the PAMP ( Perfume, Aromatic, and Medicinal Plants ) an d viticulture sectors, both of which have a strong presence in the PACA region. We are convinced that this industry holds great promise for the future and that AI and robotics can significantly contribute to its development. We will explore collaborations with ITEIPMAI, INRAE, and the "Fleur d'Exception" association in Grasse to gain a thorough understanding of the needs and constraints of industry stakeholders. Participation in industry-related events will also be encouraged. The position involves the modeling, development, and evaluation of AI (and/or robotics) solutions for the agriculture and agri-food sectors. It falls within the scope of the AgrifoodTef project, for which the ACENTAURI team has established several unique testing facilities and robotic systems—including mobile robots, drones, and a "Moving Living Lab"—incorporating the latest technological innovations. The team offers a range of services, including data collection and annotation, as well as the testing and evaluation of robotics and AI algorithms. Travel : Travel is planned, in particular for customer finding, exhibition participation, and experiments in real agricultural site. Assignment The research engineer's duties will focus primarily on the use of AI in agriculture and the agri-food sector, specifically: Helping to identify sector-specific challenges, particularly those related to the crop cycle Identifying existing solutions—whether conventional or AI-based—for comparison purposes Identifying existing, accessible databases Identifying existing evaluation metrics and testing protocols Drafting a report analyzing needs and the state of the art Presenting this report at French node meetings and within the agrifoodTEF consortium Building, testing, and evaluating AI models to address the identified challenges Coding and testing algorithms Documenting algorithms Acquiring and creating new datasets Participating in experimental and testing campaigns for potential clients Attending industry technology meetings Participating in consortium meetings Collaboration : The candidate will work in close collaboration with the ACENTAURI team. Responsibilities: Responsibilities: The candidate will have to integrate into the ACENTAURI team. In addition, he (she) will have to carry out the important tasks of communication, publication writing, and methodology implemented in ACENTAURI (project monitoring and project management under Git and Gitlab). Furthermore, we would like the person hired to undergo drone piloting training in order to remotely pilot our drones for field data acquisition. Main activities Surveying existing and future technologies from technology providers and existing sources Conducting market research by sector Establishing a network of potential clients Identify problem categories by sector Developing an action plan Drafting a report Providing services to startups and SMEs Skills Technical skills and level required: The candidate should preferably m ust hold a Master’s degree or an engineering degree specializing in AI and Machine Learning. The candidate must possess a solid foundation in software development (Matlab, C/C++, Python, Git, OpenCL, CMake, etc.) and machine learning methods (training and inference), as well as knowledge regarding the applications of robotics and AI in agriculture and the agri-food sector. Languages: a good level in English read/written/spoken is expected. Documents to provide : CV, cover letter, letter of recommendation, transcripts (Master's, engineering degree, Bachelor's). Interpersonal skills: The candidate will be in contact with the members of the team and will have to integrate into the ACENTAURI team. He/she must have the appropriate relational qualities. Additional skills appreciated: He/she must also be highly motivated for multidisciplinary studies and all aspects of R&D ranging from fundamental to experimental work. The driving Licence is mandatory.
This listing was collected from a public source and is reproduced here for
information only. Always confirm the details on the original posting before applying.
View the original posting