Virtual Reality-based Decision Support System For Change Detection in Forest Environment Using Mobile & Drone-based Digital Twin

About the project

About the Project Ref: 2531ad1496 UCL Department / Division Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering Location of position Bloomsbury, London Duration of Studentship 4 Years Stipend Fully funded 4-year PhD studentship covering international fees, with a £23,466 per annum tax free stipend in Year 1, rising with inflation. Vacancy Information Note: the studentship covers EU/international fees. Why is this research important? Forests are critical natural resources for humans and wildlife, as they protect biodiversity, provide pivotal ecosystem services, and help mitigate the impacts of global warming by absorbing anthropogenic CO2. Yet, many forests are under significant threat from climate change and unsustainable human activities. To protect these habitats, Digital Twins (DTs), i.e., virtual replicas of physical objects and processes, built from mobile and drone-based imagery and/or Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), serve as powerful tools for safer, more effective, and more efficient forest management. However, despite growing interest in this technology, the digitization of forest environments is progressing slowly, hindered by the substantial and complex challenges it poses for the sector. What will you be doing? You will develop a framework that will empower British political decision-makers, foresters, and local communities to utilize mobile and drone-based digital twins for forest lifecycle management, with a focus on change detection to evaluate the impact of their actions. This goal will be achieved through a Decision Support System (DSS) integrating a Virtual Reality (VR) platform that leverages an enhanced, semantically enriched digital twin powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable spatio-temporal analysis across multiple scales. The result will be a working approach that directly supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable forest management, with a particular focus on British forests. Who will you be working with? You will collaborate closely with highly qualified international academic partners, such as the Earth Observation and Ecosystem Modelling Lab, government-owned organizations, e.g., Forestry England, consulting firms (SRL D. Bemelmans), and technology providers, such as FARO, and Epic Games. Studentship description Fully funded 4-year PhD studentship covering international fees, with a £23,466 per annum tax free stipend in Year 1, rising with inflation. Person specification We are seeking a highly motivated, research-driven individual with a strong academic background in Reality Capture for Geospatial Science, proficiency in AI-based image restoration, and a passion for advancing digital twin technology in the forestry sector. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and a collaborative mindset. Eligibility Applicants should reach out to Dr Romain Neuville directly. Please respond as soon as possible because applications will be evaluated continuously and the position will close once a suitable candidate has been found. Contact name Dr Romain Neuville Contact details r.neuville@ucl.ac.uk Closing date The position remains open until a suitable candidate has been found. Interview date TBC Studentship start date 1 October 2026

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