Aleksi Vuorinen
About me
I am a PhD researcher at the University of Oulu, focusing on LiDAR Integration for Enhanced Vehicle Capabilities and Environmental Simulation.
My academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from the University of Applied Sciences, followed by a Master’s degree in Information Processing Science at the University of Oulu, where I specialized in software engineering.
My passion for research grew while working as a research assistant during my master’s thesis, where I explored how LiDAR-generated environments could be used for virtual vehicle simulations. This work sparked new ideas for my PhD, where I aim to explore innovative applications of LiDAR technology beyond its traditional use in autonomous driving and ADAS.
In my free time, I stay active by lifting weights, practicing Judo, and casually doing some bouldering. I also enjoy traveling and the outdoors.

My Research
My PhD research focuses on integrating LiDAR technology to enhance vehicle capabilities and environmental simulation.
I am interested in how LiDAR, with its precision and efficiency in detecting and mapping environments, could be utilized in developing digital twins in the automotive sector—virtual replicas of physical environments. My research explores how LiDAR data can be processed and applied in vehicular simulations to improve realism and efficiency, especially for testing vehicle behavior in various conditions.
The goal is to address current gaps in the field, particularly in using LiDAR-generated environments for virtual simulations, while exploring LiDAR data applications in real-time and, if feasible, even in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication as in how connected vehicles can possbily use this data.
As our main LiDAR device, we have a GeoSLAM ZEB Horizon LiDAR device, which can be handheld or mounted on a vehicle. I will probably explore other kinds of devices in the future as well. Unreal Engine will also play a crucial role in the simulation.
Research Questions:
RQ1. How does integrating LiDAR scanning into game engine-based simulators and digital twins enhance realism in simulated environments?
RQ2. What methodologies and software pipelines are required to process LiDAR data as part of vehicle data efficiently, enabling the creation of real-time point clouds with minimal computational resources and energy consumption?
RQ3. How can vehicles lacking integrated LiDAR sensors effectively utilize point cloud data generated by external LiDAR systems?
Contact me:
Email: aleksi.vuorinen@oulu.fi
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aleksivu