Master thesis: Optimal Infrared Illumination for Firefighting XR Perception

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About this opportunity:

We are seeking a Master’s student to investigate how infrared illumination can improve camera-based perception in dark and smoke-affected environments. The thesis will focus on identifying suitable illumination configurations for a firefighting-oriented NEXSoS XR prototype, considering factors such as radiant power, beam angle, wavelength, mounting position, coverage, and power consumption. The student will design and conduct controlled experiments to determine how different illumination conditions influence image quality, visibility, feature detection, depth estimation, and downstream perception tasks. The objective is to establish a practical and reproducible methodology for selecting infrared illuminators that improve sensing performance while remaining suitable for integration into a wearable or mobile XR system.

What you will do:

• Review infrared imaging and illumination techniques for low-light, smoke-affected, and visually degraded environments, and define relevant performance measures

• Characterise the available infrared cameras and illuminators, including their effective range, field of view, sensitivity, power requirements, and operational limitations

• Design and perform controlled experiments using different radiant powers, beam angles, wavelengths, mounting positions, target distances, and smoke conditions

• Quantitatively evaluate the influence of illumination on image quality, feature visibility, depth estimation, object detection, and other relevant perception tasks

• Analyse the trade-offs between sensing performance, coverage, energy consumption, safety, and hardware complexity, and recommend an illumination configuration for a future NEXSoS XR prototype

The skills you bring:

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Enrolled in or recently admitted to a Master’s programme in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field

• Basic understanding of imaging systems, optics, electronics, or experimental measurement

• Programming experience in Python or MATLAB for data processing and analysis

• Interest in experimental research, optical sensing, and hardware-based prototyping

• Ability to design controlled experiments and interpret measurement results

• Good technical writing and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of infrared, thermal, or multispectral imaging

• Experience with image processing, computer vision, or camera characterisation

• Familiarity with radiometry, optical power measurements, or illumination modelling

• Experience with laboratory instrumentation and experimental data collection

• Knowledge of embedded systems, battery-powered devices, or energy-efficient hardware design

What We Offer

This thesis addresses a focused and practically relevant sensing problem with direct applications in firefighting and XR systems. The student will gain experience in infrared imaging, optical system evaluation, experimental design, and hardware development. The results will provide concrete recommendations for improving perception in dark and smoke-filled environments.