Multimodal Deep Learning based AI for UAV (Drones) Detection and Tracking

About the Project

This PhD will aim at advanced deep-learning based Artificial Intelligence designs and development for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones or swarms) detection and tracking using multimodal sensing, spatiotemporal analysis, and vision–language models.

Unlike conventional object detection research, drone detection systems are often deployed in critical contexts such as airport security, where reliability is paramount. These systems must maintain extremely low false-positive rates and near-zero false negatives.

To achieve this, the project will integrate multiple sensing modalities – including RGB and infrared imagery, supported by radar – to enhance detection accuracy. Beyond analysing single frames, the research will explore temporal patterns and object behaviour over time to strengthen classification. Vision – language models will contribute to explainability and support human interaction with the detection system, for example, by enabling users to define conditions or validate results. The project may also investigate emerging Vision–Language–Action models, incorporating pan–tilt–zoom cameras and active vision to enable adaptive, intelligent surveillance.

How to Apply

Please send an email with your resume, transcripts, thesis, and any supporting documents to Prof. Hubert Shum hubert.shum@durham.ac.uk for an initial assessment.

Supervision

You will be supervised by Prof. Hubert Shum (http://hubertshum.com/), who is a Professor of Visual Computing and the Director of Research of the Department of Computer Science at Durham University, specialising in modelling spatio-temporal information with responsible AI. He has authored over 200 research publications in the fields of Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and AI in Healthcare, underpinned by Responsible AI designs and algorithms. His work has been featured in leading venues such as CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, SIGGRAPH, MICCAI, IEEE TVCG and IEEE TIP. He is a Co-Founder and the Co-Director (Research) of Durham University Space Research Centre. He has led multiple research projects funded by the UK government, the charity and industry, providing him with the experience of supervising over 30 PhDs and many post-doctoral researchers. He hosts international conferences such as BMVC, ACM SIGGRAPH/Eurographics SCA and ACM SIGGRAPH MIG.

During the PhD study, you will receive comprehensive training and research coaching through regular one-to-one meetings with Prof. Shum to develop your strengths and consolidate your research knowledge. Prof. Shum’s research team has a supportive culture and provides assistance and collaboration opportunities. His past PhDs have had great success in developing their professional research profiles, as well as securing promising careers after graduation.

Our Resources

Durham University hosts the UK regional supercomputer, Bede, with 128 NVIDIA V100 GPUs. On top of that, our Department hosts an NVIDIA CUDA Centre that caters to the increasing GPU demands for research purposes.

Our laboratories have an array of computer science equipment and sensors, including sensor-mounted vehicles, LiDAR, RADAR, EEG, drones, robots, cameras and more.Durham University

Durham University is a world top-100 university and is ranked top-5 in the UK. As a member university of the elite Russell Group, Durham University focuses on research excellence delivered by world-leading academics. It is the third oldest university in England, following Oxford and Cambridge, with the campus's Cathedral and Castle being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in Durham at North East England – one of the safest cities in the UK with an affordable living cost.

Entry Requirements

• A relevant undergraduate or master's degree with good scores.
• Knowledge of modern programming languages.
• Meet Durham's English requirements (https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/).

Funding Notes

Fully funded for a UK “home” student for 3.5 years – applicants must be resident and ‘settled’ in the UK on the first day of the academic year to be eligible. The annual stipend will be around £20,780 tax-free (please refer to the Durham University website for the latest number). A further annual research budget of £2,000 is available to support research (e.g. conference attendance).

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis as applications are received, and the position will close once a suitable candidate has been appointed.