Internship | Traffic Light Recognition Perception System Development

At TNO, we develop software for Automated Driving vehicles. To behave appropriately, vehicles must be able to sense their environment. For intersection crossing, one of the many environment perception algorithms required needs to detect the status of traffic lights, corresponding to the section of the road that the vehicle currently is driving on.

One of the challenges in Automated Driving is “Environment Perception”. The vehicle decision is based on the current assessment of the vehicles’ surroundings. To achieve this, various environment perception algorithms are required.

One of the systems that could help autonomous vehicles increase traffic flow, and throughput is Green Light Optimized Speed Assist (GLOSA). For GLOSA, the vehicle receives information about the current and next phase of the traffic light status, including switching time. With onboard perception, the vehicle needs to detect the traffic light status in order to confirm the correctness of the received traffic light information. In a previous internship assignment, a traffic light recognition system was already designed and trained. This assignment specifically focuses on the deployment of such a model on the vehicle’s on-board computer. In this internship, you will:

• Integrate a traffic light recognition on one of TNO’s Carlabs and validate the performance.
• Develop tools for visualization of the traffic light status in a graphical user interface.
• Fine-tune the deployment of the network on an Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier.

Proposed approach:

• Desk analysis of a pre-trained model for traffic light recognition and classification. Suggestion of potential improvement points.
• Integration with Vehicle Systems: Deploy the trained model on an onboard computing platform (e.g., Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier), ensuring compatibility with real-time camera input and processing pipelines.
• Real-World Testing and Iteration: Test the system in diverse operational scenarios, gather data on edge cases, and iteratively improve the model by retraining with additional data.
• Documentation: Document the system architecture, datasets, and testing results.

We require that you are familiar with the training of image-based neural networks environment perception. You are knowledgeable in programming (please indicate your programming language strengths in your application), and you are willing to learn. You have experience with model optimization and have worked with the deployment of AI models before. Experience with Linux, Docker deployments, and ROS is essential. Experience working with Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier is a plus. In addition, familiarity with vehicle automation would be considered a plus. We would like you to start as soon as possible. The internship fits into a 3-month project (based on full-time availability). Finally, successful candidates should be able to spend at least 2 days a week in our TNO Helmond premises to enable you to work with our tools and to have short communication lines.

You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It’s not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That’s why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. Since 1932, we have been making knowledge and technology available for the common good. We find each other in wonder and ingenuity. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference. Because with every innovation you contribute to tomorrow’s world. Read more about TNO as an employer.

At TNO we encourage an inclusive work environment, where you can be yourself. Whatever your story and whatever unique qualities you bring to the table. It is by combining our unique strengths and perspectives that we are able to develop innovations that make a real difference in society. Want to know more? Read what steps we are taking in the area of diversity and inclusion.

After the first CV selection, the application process will be conducted by the concerning department. TNO will provide a suitable internship agreement. If you have any questions about this vacancy, you can contact the contact person mentioned below.

Important to be aware of before applying:

• Before the start of the internship, the internship agreement from TNO needs to be signed. For students at a college or university based in the Netherlands, TNO uses the UNL-template (supplemented with a number of specific agreements from TNO). For students of foreign and MBO educational institutions, the TNO internship agreement applies. TNO does not sign any other internship agreements.
• Before the start of the internship, the educational institution will need to confirm in writing that:
  • 1) you are enrolled at the educational institution during the internship, and;
  • 2) the internship takes place as part of the programme of the study.
• The confirmation of educational institution takes place by signing the UNL template or forms prepared by TNO.
• Interns at TNO must be in possession of a Dutch residential address at the start of the internship. Performance of internship activities from abroad is not possible.