Are you ready to complete your Computer Science Bachelor in an ever-growing field?
Team up with experts in the field for a unique R&D opportunity in an intense 3 month Bachelor project for students following Computer Science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Go beyond the basics with us
Who thinks of Autnomous Systems might think of "AI" and call it a day. But from Software Security to Green IT and from Internet of Things to Computer Vision, there is so much more to explore. At the Autonomous Systems Engineering (ASE) project, we provide you the (award-winning) tools, expertise and guidance to explore a topic of choice in a 3-month Bachelor project. During the project you will not only research and develop, but also learn how to operate as a professional software engineer in a larger project than any other course in your Bachelor. Is it intense? Yes. Is it rewarding? Absolutely.
Topics
Match with one of five domain experts.
Group size
You will work in a team of two students.
Workload
40 hours a week, for 3 months.
Meetings
Once every two weeks, in person.
Research on ASE/Rover, the award-winning Linux car
Each team will be provided with one ASE/Rover: a modular, powerful and robust robotic vehicle that can be equipped with a variety of sensors and actuators to react to the environment. Driven by the powerful Debix model A Single-Board Computer, that comes with 8GB of RAM, a quad-core i.MX 8M Plus processor and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit, the Rover serves as the perfect platform to implement, test and validate your research on.
The Rover runs a full-fledged Linux installation (ubuntu 22.04) and comes preinstalled with a tightly integrated software framework that allows you to easily interface with the hardware by building your own processing pipeline. We provide you with official libraries, templates and tutorials for C, Python, Go and Rust, but you are free to implement your project in any language you like.
Oh and is it fast? Well, judge for yourself (original speed):
Our planning
January 13th, 12:45
Taster lecture
This lecture is open to anyone interested in the project. You will meet the team and get a taste of what ASE is all about. Some research topics in the field of autonomous systems will be presented and discussed. Naturally, you will also get the opportunity to ask questions before applying. Attendance to this lecture will in-person only and the exact location will be announced soon.
January
Application
You can apply for the project through our website. There is a limited number of available spots so candidates will be selected. Apply here.
February
Research topic confirmation
Selected students will meet with the ASE-Team and domain expert to confirm their research topic and discuss the start of the project. After this point, students can start their literature studies and research.
April
Project kick-off
The official start of the project. You will be introduced to the ASE/Rover platform. This time is used to familiarize yourself with the software and hardware side of things and to continue your research.
May
Development and testing
This will be the peak development period. You will be busy implementing your research on the Rover and testing your ideas.
June
Thesis roundup
Time to get your final thesis report ready for submission and to finalize testing on the Rover. You are expected to present and demo your work to the group and friends and family.
July
Deadline
Hand in your thesis. The project is officially finished and you can enjoy your well-deserved summer. You will receive a grade before September 1st.
How your project is graded
50% executed work
Your submitted work will be graded based on its quality, your personal insights, planning and commitment, and independence. During the project, the on-site supervising team will monitor your individual progress in various ways to assist the responsible domain expert and to provide you with useful feedback.
40% written thesis
Your written thesis report contains your research, experiments, findings, improvements and an assessement of your personal contributions and the contributions of your partner. Each students hands in an individual thesis. Your domain expert will be your first reader.
10% final presentation
Your work and a working demo of your system will be presented to the supervising team, the domain expert, collegues and anyone you want to invite. Presentation skills and contents of the presentation weigh approximately equally for this part of the grade.
The final grade is decided on by the domain expert that you teamed up with during the project and their second assessor. The on-site supervising team will advise them on your progress and the quality of your work and academic output. All students receive an individual grade.
What do we look for in applying students?
Since the ASE-Team is providing students with existing Rovers, the focus of the project should be on implementing and testing complex systems directly onto the provided hardware. This project encompasses a wide range of Computer Science subjects and we seek enthusiastic students with a willingness to learn.
The ASE-Team
The ASE-Team consists of a group of dedicated professors, teachers and master students. We team up with domain experts at the VU to provide you with a research topic that fits your interests. During the project, the organizing team will be your first point of contact for any questions or issues you might have and you will be matched with one domain expert that will guide you through the research process. Your domain expert will be your first reader.
ASE has been founded in 2024, but the core team has been active in the field of autonomous driving since 2019. The project could not run without the help of our Electro-Mechanical and Fine-Mechanical technicians.
Organizing team
Your first point of contact for all things ASE.
Domain experts
You will be matched with one of these experts, who will be your supervisor and first assessor. Matching is based on your research interests.
Key contributors
Without them, ASE would not exist.
Ready to apply?
This page highlights the most important aspects of the ASE project, but on our about page you will find in-depth information about research topics, grading and deliverables. Make sure to take a look and apply there! Also check out the FAQ
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