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Robotics Research Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Bosch Group

Wireless Sensing Research Intern

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$32 - $69/hr

... Robotics, Energy Technologies, Internet Technologies, Circuit Design, Semiconductors and Wireless, and MEMS Advanced Design. The Bosch wireless sensors and embedded systems research group is looking ...

DYNA Robotics Inc

Research Internship

Redwood City, CA · On-site

While we have a very limited number of intern opportunities, we welcome applications in particular for research-focused internships at all levels. At Dyna Robotics , we build technology for the real ...

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Robotics Research Intern information

What does a Robotics Research Intern do?

A Robotics Research Intern assists with the development and testing of robotic systems, working under the guidance of experienced engineers or researchers. Their tasks often include programming robots, running experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and documenting results. Interns may also contribute to research papers and presentations, depending on the project. This role provides hands-on experience with cutting-edge robotics technology and helps interns build foundational skills for a career in robotics.

What types of projects or responsibilities can a Robotics Research Intern expect during their internship?

As a Robotics Research Intern, you can expect to work on a variety of hands-on and collaborative projects, such as developing algorithms for robot perception, assisting in hardware integration, or running experiments to validate robotic systems. Interns often contribute to ongoing research efforts, participate in team meetings, and sometimes co-author research papers. The work environment is typically fast-paced and supportive, with mentorship from experienced researchers and engineers. You'll also have opportunities to present your findings, gain exposure to cutting-edge robotics technology, and network with professionals in the field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Robotics Research Intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Robotics Research Intern, you need a solid background in robotics, computer science, or engineering, with coursework or experience in algorithms, control systems, and programming (often at least a bachelor's level in progress). Familiarity with technical tools like ROS (Robot Operating System), simulation environments (e.g., Gazebo, MATLAB), and coding languages such as Python or C++ is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication skills help interns contribute meaningfully to collaborative research projects. These skills and qualities are crucial for innovating and advancing robotics solutions in both academic and industry settings.

What is the difference between Robotics Research Intern vs Robotics Engineer?

AspectRobotics Research InternRobotics Engineer
CredentialsTypically pursuing or holding a degree in robotics, engineering, or related fieldsBachelor's or master's degree in robotics, mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, academic institutions, or corporate R&D departmentsDesign, develop, and implement robotic systems in industrial, commercial, or research settings
Employer & Industry UsageUniversities, research institutions, tech companiesManufacturers, tech firms, automation companies

Robotics Research Interns focus on supporting research projects, gaining hands-on experience, and exploring new technologies. Robotics Engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining robotic systems, often leading projects and applying engineering principles. While both roles require a background in robotics, interns typically have less experience and work under supervision, whereas engineers hold more advanced responsibilities and often have full-time positions.

What are the most commonly searched types of Robotics Research jobs in California? The most popular types of Robotics Research jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Robotics Research Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Robotics Research Intern job openings:
Robotics Research Intern jobs near you

AI Robotics Researcher Intern (Dexterous Manipulation)

NIO

San Jose, CA

Full-time

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

About NIO

NIO is a pioneer and a leading company in the premium smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO's mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle. NIO aims to build a community starting with smart electric vehicles to share joy and grow together with users.

NIO designs, develops, jointly manufactures and sells premium smart electric vehicles, driving innovations in next-generation technologies in autonomous driving, digital technologies, electric powertrains and batteries. NIO differentiates itself through its continuous technological breakthroughs and innovations, such as its industry-leading battery swapping technologies, Battery as a Service, or BaaS, as well as its proprietary autonomous driving technologies and Autonomous Driving as a Service, or ADaaS.

NIO's product portfolio consists of the ES8, a six-seater smart electric flagship SUV, the ES7 (or the EL7), a mid-large five-seater smart electric SUV, the ES6, a five-seater all-round smart electric SUV, the EC7, a five-seater smart electric flagship coupe SUV, the EC6, a five-seater smart electric coupe SUV, the ET7, a smart electric flagship sedan, and the ET5, a mid-size smart electric sedan.

About the Position

We are looking for an outstanding AI Robotics Research Intern to join the team at NIO. This role operates at the cutting edge of embodied AI and dexterous manipulation, with a specific focus on utilizing large-scale foundation models and human data-based learning to empower robots with physical world intelligence.
As an intern, you will tackle the fundamental challenges of dexterous manipulation by harvesting human-object interaction data from diverse sources-ranging from unstructured web videos to high-fidelity human glove-collected data. Your work will involve translating these rich human insights into executable robotic behaviors, bridging the gap between human dexterity and machine execution. You will be responsible for deploying these policies on real hardware, to perform complex, contact-rich tasks in real-world environments
Project Scope
  • Learning from Human Demonstrations: Develop and refine scalable frameworks for the transfer of human-object interaction skills to diverse robotic embodiments.
  • Large-Scale Data Synthesis: Architect autonomous pipelines to process vast amounts of visual data and human glove-collected data, extracting the spatial and contact-rich information necessary for generalist robot training.
  • Generative Embodied AI: Implement state-of-the-art generative architectures to synthesize physically grounded, high-fidelity trajectories based on human reference motions.
  • Unified Policy Training: Explore cross-embodiment representations that enable joint training on human and robot data to improve generalization in unstructured environments.
  • Sim-to-Real Deployment: Research and optimize distillation and retargeting techniques to bridge the gap between simulation-trained policies and physical robotic deployment.
  • Semantic Scene Understanding: Utilize vision-language foundation models to autonomously segment skills and extract task-relevant parameters from complex human activities.
Deliverables (End of Internship)
  • A robust pipeline for converting human multi-modal data into actionable robot motor skills.
  • A successful sim-to-real validation of a dexterous manipulation policy on a physical humanoid or multi-fingered platform.
  • A high-quality technical manuscript or demo suitable for internal review or submission to a top-tier robotics conference.
Qualifications
  • Master's or Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related fields.
  • Strong technical foundation in robot learning and control, including areas such as reinforcement learning, imitation learning, world modeling, or representation learning for agent-environment interactions.
  • Practical experience implementing and fine-tuning Generative Models and Transformer architectures.
  • Hands-on experience with robotic manipulation systems, particularly involving contact-rich interaction, grasping, or multi-sensor perception (e.g., tactile, force/torque, proprioception).
  • Proficiency in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow), with experience using robotics middleware or simulation tools (e.g., ROS/ROS2, MuJoCo, Isaac Sim, PyBullet).
  • Demonstrated ability to implement, experiment, and iterate on research ideas, including evaluating methods through empirical results on simulated or physical robotic systems.
  • Strong analytical and system-building skills, with the ability to work across simulation, learning, perception, control, and real robot deployment as part of a larger technical team.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Ph.D. (or Ph.D. candidate expecting graduation within 6-12 months).
  • Prior experience with dexterous manipulation, multi-finger robotic hands, in-hand manipulation, or grasp optimization beyond parallel-jaw grasping.
  • Experience deploying learning-based policies on real robotic hardware, including exposure to sim-to-real transfer challenges such as contact mismatch, compliance, sensing noise, or latency.
  • Familiarity with contact modeling, tactile sensing, force/torque feedback, or low-level control interfaces for manipulation.
  • Background in 3D perception, geometric representations, or learned representations relevant to physical interaction.
  • Experience with reinforcement learning in continuous control, model-based methods, or real-time policy execution.
  • A strong interest in building robust, real-world robotic systems, and motivation to see research ideas validated through physical experiments rather than simulation alone.
  • Track record of publications in top AI or robotics conferences (CoRL, ICRA, IROS, RSS, NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML).

Compensation:

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $38.00 - $46.00.

  • Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

  • Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only. It does not include discretionary bonus, equity, or benefits.

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