Summer Internship - LIDAR/SODAR Wave sensors

Jotron is a leading international corporation in the development, production and sale of communication systems and safety equipment for aviation and maritime applications. The head office of the Jotron Group is in Larvik, Norway, with subsidiaries in Oslo, Lithuania, England, the USA and Singapore. The Group has approx. 400 employees and an annual turnover of NOK 883 million.

Jotron SKIPPERs technical mission is to make sensors to enhance the situation awareness of navigators on Ships. Our sensors will give information about the influences on a vessel to help the navigator, or navigation systems make the correct decisions for fine control of the vessel.

Background

Waves have a large effect on a vessel’s stability, efficiency and comfort. They contain massive amounts of energy that can work for or against the vessel. At best, navigators or navigation systems can use them as a way to enhance effectivity of the vessel, at worst they will hinder the vessel from operating. We need to detect the waves and their direction and give this information to the vessel. 

The Project

Can we use modern low-cost LIDAR sensors to measure waves from the bow of a vessel?

Is it possible to use sound to get the same results?

This technology is progressing fast, partly due to self-driving vehicles, but can it be used to measure waves by pointing them at the sea. If yes, what would be needed to make it robust and reliable enough? Processing? Housing? Distance to water?

This project is a study project to look at what is available and try it out on the test boat.

Project will have the following phases

• Research - Study of technology, find out its limitations for this application, what is needed to make a reliable/ feasible system
• Acquisition - Source what is available on the commercial market and get some examples
• Prototype – Using existing Jotron electronic hardware, and/or commercially available modules with an off the shelf processor module or SOM. Make a test system to place on a test vessel
• Collect results
• Asses the results
• Process the results and make models of what is needed to make it work
• Propose a presentation GUI for the results
• If results are good the most suitable sensor will be industrialized to fit into a permanent solution

Who do we need?

We need people with the following skills

• Analytical and research orientated interests
• Interest in the whole system
• Programming skills,
• Proven experience of using processing modules such as Raspberry pi with hardware

What support can you expect?

You will be assigned an experienced project leader and a mentor within your field. They will guide you through planning, design, and sourcing the components you need—ensuring you can move forward with confidence at every stage.

Where possible, you will receive pre‑built modules to accelerate your work, while also contributing to the development of new, project‑specific modules.

Your primary workplace will be at the Jotron SKIPPER facilities in Oslo, with occasional workdays at our Larvik office.

Jotron Culture

We believe in investing in our employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed.
At Jotron, we value initiative and ideas, encouraging our employees to propose solutions that can contribute to growth and development.We trust our employees and give them the opportunity to take responsibility. Our success is built on cooperation by sharing knowledge and helping one another.

Our Values

Jotron’s values are: precision, enthusiasm, and respect. If the job description is of interest and you identify with our values, we would love to hear from you!
We believe that diversity creates value and we welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.
Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis. Suitable candidates will be subject to a background check as part of the recruitment process.