Diploma in Line-of-Sight/Feature Perception and Fusion in Denied Environments
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in line-of-sight/feature perception and fusion in denied environments. 8 modules covering GNSS-denied environments, perception sensors, feature extraction, odometry and registration, SLAM, multi-sensor fusion and perception for safe navigation under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and ISO 21448 (SOTIF), with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Line-of-Sight/Feature Perception and Fusion in Denied Environments — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has one of the world's most established aerospace sectors, anchored by clusters in Bristol, Filton, Derby, Hampshire and Scotland's Glasgow corridor. Major manufacturers and suppliers such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Airbus UK and GKN Aerospace drive demand for engineers in design, propulsion, structures and systems integration. Urban air mobility, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and commercial drones are emerging alongside, supported by government programmes and test corridors. Space engineering is growing through launch and satellite activity around the UK spaceports and Harwell. Graduates with aerospace expertise find roles across manufacturing, certification and research.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £1,070 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which professional bodies in the UK recognise aerospace engineering qualifications, and does SEIUM's qualification give me chartered status?
In the UK, the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) is the main professional body for aerospace engineers and can award Chartered Engineer status through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and are not accredited by the Engineering Council or RAeS, so they do not confer chartered status on their own. Recognition is decided by employers and the relevant body, so check directly with RAeS whether your study and experience will count towards registration.
Will a private online aerospace qualification help me find work with UK aerospace or drone employers?
UK aerospace, drone and space employers, including many working on civil aviation, defence and space projects, generally judge candidates on demonstrated skills, portfolio work and experience. A private qualification may support your application, but its value depends on each employer's own assessment. It is worth asking prospective employers how they view such qualifications before you enrol.
Can I study this programme alongside a full-time job in the UK, and what language level is needed?
Yes, programmes are delivered fully online, so you can study from home without a student visa, wherever you are based. Workload varies by programme length, and you will have an assigned technical tutor for support. Teaching is in English, so you should be comfortable reading and writing technical English. Check the programme schedule and time commitment against your working hours before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Characterise GNSS-denied environments and their perception challenges.
Select and calibrate perception sensors for UAS.
Extract and match features robustly.
Implement visual, LiDAR and radar odometry.
Apply real-time SLAM and mapping techniques.
Fuse multiple sensors using factor graphs.
Integrate perception into the safe navigation of the vehicle.
Who it's for
- Perception engineers.
- SLAM engineers.
- Computer vision engineers.
- Sensor fusion engineers.
- Autonomous robotics engineers.
- Researchers in GNSS-free navigation.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join drone manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (unmanned aircraft systems and third-country operators)
- ISO 21448 (SOTIF) (safety of the intended functionality)
- IEC 60825-1 (laser safety)
- ASTM F3442 (detect and avoid system performance for small UAS)
- ISO 13482 (safety requirements for personal care robots)
- IEEE 1873 (robot map data representation for navigation)
- ROS 2
- OpenCV
- GTSAM
- Open3D
- Gazebo
8 modules
1.1Indoors, tunnels and mining1.2Under bridges and in urban canyons1.3Forests and dense vegetation1.4Low-texture environments1.5Smoke, dust and low visibility1.6Perception requirements by mission type1.7Direct line of sight and occlusions1.8Operational safety considerations1.9State of the art in autonomous inspection1.10Case study: perception requirements for tunnel inspection
2.1Monocular and stereo cameras2.2Event cameras2.3Mechanical and solid-state LiDAR2.4Millimetre-wave radar2.5Thermal cameras2.6Time-of-flight sensors2.7Intrinsic and extrinsic calibration2.8Hardware synchronisation2.9Selection by weight and power2.10Lab: camera–LiDAR extrinsic calibration
3.1FAST, ORB and SIFT detectors3.2Learned descriptors: SuperPoint3.3Matching with SuperGlue and LightGlue3.4KLT feature tracking3.5Lines and planes as primitives3.6Features in point clouds3.7Robustness to illumination3.8Outlier rejection with RANSAC3.9Repeatability evaluation3.10Practical exercise: robust matching on real sequences
4.1Direct and indirect visual odometry4.2LiDAR odometry with ICP4.3LOAM and its variants4.4NDT point cloud registration4.5Radar odometry4.6Motion estimation with event cameras4.7Accumulated errors and drift4.8Evaluation with ATE and RPE metrics4.9Algorithm comparison4.10Lab: LiDAR odometry on a public dataset
5.1Probabilistic formulation of SLAM5.2Factor graphs5.3Loop closure5.4Visual SLAM: ORB-SLAM35.5LiDAR-inertial SLAM: LIO-SAM and FAST-LIO5.6Occupancy maps and OctoMap5.7Relocalisation in prior maps5.8Multi-session SLAM5.9Onboard computing requirements5.10Practical exercise: mapping with FAST-LIO in simulation
6.1Loose and tight fusion6.2Factor graphs with GTSAM6.3LiDAR, visual and inertial fusion6.4Observability and degeneracy6.5Uncertainty management6.6Sensor fault detection6.7Switching between navigation modes6.8Integration with the autopilot6.9Latency and real time6.10Workshop: LiDAR and IMU fusion with GTSAM
7.1Obstacle detection7.2Semantic segmentation7.3Cost maps for planning7.4Detection of cables and thin structures7.5Navigation in narrow corridors7.6Autonomous frontier exploration7.7Real-time risk assessment7.8Validation of perception algorithms7.9Reference datasets7.10Case study: autonomous exploration of a building
8.1Definition of the environment and mission8.2Sensor selection8.3Feature pipeline8.4Odometry algorithm8.5Fusion strategy8.6Integration with planning8.7Experimental evaluation8.8Analysis of limitations8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is ROS 2, OpenCV, GTSAM, Open3D and Gazebo, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: LiDAR-inertial mapping in GNSS-free environments, evaluation of visual odometry with standard metrics and autonomous indoor exploration. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Standards covered: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), IEC 60825-1, ASTM F3442, ISO 13482, IEEE 1873.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. A university degree is not required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with ROS 2, OpenCV, GTSAM, Open3D and Gazebo, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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