Thesis Work: An Abstraction Model for the Smart Boat

Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match. 

About us

Volvo Penta is a world-leading supplier of engines and complete power systems for marine and industrial applications. Volvo Penta has developed a global leadership and one of the industry’s strongest brands.

 
At Volvo Penta, the Onboard Connectivity department develops and maintains the telematics platform and onboard connectivity solutions. We work closely with backend development teams and IT organizations to enable secure and reliable communication between onboard systems, cloud services, and customer applications.

Background:

Software Architecture & Platform (Suitable for: Computer Science, Information Systems, IT)

Relevant programs:

Software Engineering

Computer Science

Information Technology

Embedded Systems

Computer Engineering

IoT Engineering

Distributed Systems

Typical student skills:

Python

C/C++

Java

MQTT

APIs

Microservices

Linux

Docker

Open-source frameworks

Description: How do you build a software architecture that acts as a bridge between traditional marine networks (J1939, NMEA 2000) and modern IoT protocols (Matter, Zigbee, BLE)?

Research questions:

•How can underlying protocols be abstracted into standardized entities (e.g., a switch or a temperature sensor)? •Which open-source technologies (e.g., MQTT, Home Assistant Core) can be reused to avoid reinventing the wheel?

Objective:

•Develop a Proof of Concept (PoC) where an application can turn on a light connected to the CAN bus and a light connected through Zigbee using exactly the same API call.

Thesis Level: Master (30 ECTS points)

Language: Swedish or English

Starting date: January 2027

Number of students: 1-2 students

Last application date: 20 October 2027

Examiner proposal: if available

Entity: AB Volvo Penta, Gothenburg, Sweden