Liviu Florescu shares his journey from the IFRoS Master’s programme to his current role as a Research and Machine Vision Engineer at Sodex Innovations. He highlights how the program’s cross-cultural structure—spanning Girona and Budapest—provided critical expertise in SLAM, perception, and field robotics. Liviu’s story demonstrates how IFRoS prepares students for high-level challenges in automated surveying and large-scale photogrammetry. You can read his full story below.
“Some things are just meant to happen! This is one of the lessons that IFRoS has taught me over and over again, through the exciting and challenging journey I embarked on a few years ago.
My first contact with robotics was in high school, when I took part in the FIRST Tech Challenge—little did I know this would turn out to be a recurring theme in my career. During my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an intern in a Robotics Research team, which I rejoined as a full-time employee after graduating. After a while, however, I felt that something was missing, so I began exploring various Master’s programmes in search of new perspectives and opportunities to grow. That was when I discovered IFRoS and was immediately struck by how well it aligned with my profile and ambitions.
What followed was an experience that reshaped both my technical skills and my outlook. Girona’s vibrant atmosphere, the openness of the IFRoS faculty at the University of Girona, and the diverse projects and collaborations I engaged in all contributed to a rich and cross-cultural learning environment. Between foundational work on intelligent robotic systems — localization, planning, perception and manipulation — and later hands-on experience with field robots in Budapest (Eötvös Loránd University), I found myself constantly expanding my knowledge. This journey culminated in my Master’s thesis at Sodex Innovations in the Austrian Alps, where I developed a SLAM solution achieving remarkable 3D reconstruction accuracy.
I’m currently working for Sodex as a Research and Machine Vision Engineer, implementing algorithms and software infrastructure for automated surveying, large-scale photogrammetry, sensor calibration and data fusion. I’m particularly excited to contribute with my skills because I am confident in my scientific expertise and in the direct impact my work has on the data our clients rely on. Being part of a small company means facing new challenges every day, but this aligns perfectly with the IFRoS mindset. I’m convinced none of this would have happened had I not made the ambitious decision to apply for IFRoS and follow the incredible course it set out before me.
– Liviu Florescu”