Master´s thesis – Data Visualization for Continuous Route Planning and Voyage Optimization in Shipping

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This Position reports to:

Your role and responsibilities

Current research and industrial solutions in maritime route planning, optimization, and visual analytics reflect a clear transition from static pathfinding heuristics to dynamic, human-centered decision support platforms. Modern ship navigation interfaces bring together real-time AI weather forecasts, trade-off optimization algorithms, and detailed engine-tracking data into a single interactive dashboard. A central challenge is how complex information can be visualized so that ship personnel can understand route alternatives and make safe, efficient decisions.

Visual analytics plays a pivotal role in this ecosystem, transforming these complex back-end computations and multi-dimensional sensor feeds into clear visual analytics so ship personnel can easily explore alternatives and make safe, efficient decisions.

The thesis will investigate how ship personnel, such as captains and navigation officers, can better understand and evaluate route recommendations that combine weather, safety constraints, voyage time, cargo and fuel/energy efficiency etc.. It will focus on how route alternatives, trade-offs, uncertainty, and optimization rationale should be visualized to support confident onboard decision-making, followed by concept development, prototyping, and initial user evaluation.

Recommended research questions are (can be some of the following)

• How can route planning, weather forecasting, route adaptation, vessel performance and actual ship motion be visualized as a continuous decision-support workflow?
  • Would Gen AI be an appropriate tool to facilitate those tasks?
• How should route visualizations evolve when forecasts change during voyage execution?
• How should future uncertainty be communicated to support users’ understanding and decision-making without creating unnecessary complexity?
• How can visual analytics help crews assess when changing conditions warrant adaptation of the current route plan?

Details:

• Spring 2027, commonly between Jan-July
• 30 ECTS/högskolepoäng (hp)
• 1 - 2 students
• In Västerås, possibility for hybrid workplace

Your responsibilities

• Literature review on user needs for route planning and optimization at sea (particularly on managing changes and dynamic situations), multi-objective voyage optimization, AI-assisted solutions and UI design.
• Potentially conduct expert or user interviews (ABB internal experts)
• Create concepts based on learning and existing materials within ABB
• Implement prototypes (fidelity can be flexible)
• Conduct user evaluation (optional)
• Summarize results and identify design implications on data visualization for continuous route planning, updating and optimization.

Your background

We are looking for motivated master's students with a strong interest in human-centered design and automation.

Candidates could have:

• Academic Background in one or more of the following fields:
  • Interaction Design
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
  • Data Visualization and Engineering
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Media Technology
• Ability to conduct contextual research and translate insights into concrete requirements and create concepts.
• Ability to make quick prototype (ideally have skills to create mid-high fidelity prototypes), using Figma or other tools to create interactive prototype.
• Able to approach challenges proactively and creatively, integrating user-centered approaches with technological advancements.
• Big plus if you are familiar with or interested in shipping and maritime solutions.

More about us

Recruiting Manager Dawid Ziobro, [email protected], will answer your questions.

Apply with your CV, academic transcripts and a cover letter in English.

We look forward to receiving your application!

A future opportunity

This role is part of our talent pipeline, which means it’s not currently open, but we’re always looking for curious minds, bold thinkers, and people who want to make an impact.

Click Apply to express your interest and be considered for future opportunities that match your experience and aspirations.

At ABB, we welcome people from all backgrounds and believe that diverse perspectives help us build a cleaner, smarter future.

Apply today or visit https://www.abb.com to learn more about how we help run what runs the world.