2027 Internship – Engineering/Science – Tailored Autonomous Systems

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This internship focuses on applying and expanding knowledge to the development of autonomous systems that operate in real-world, operationally challenging environments. The role involves designing, building, and testing mission-relevant autonomy with immediate impact. The team designs low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) autonomous systems to address the nation’s immediate needs within the intelligence and special operations community. The work spans the entire system from hardware to software, including fabrication, circuit design, FPGA work, embedded development, perception and decision-making algorithms. Interns may work with a small, interdisciplinary team to design, implement, and test software and/or hardware for robotic and autonomous systems, including simulation and real-world deployment. They will also support the development of autonomy and AI/ML algorithms, including perception, navigation, and platform behaviors, through brainstorming, prototyping, implementation, and optimization, as well as support testing, evaluation, and debugging of autonomy algorithms in lab, simulation, and field environments.

Requirements

Pursuing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics.
A minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Strong interpersonal, speaking, and technical writing skills.
Demonstrated passion for continuous learning and problem-solving, as shown through active involvement in school assignments, personal projects, or extracurricular activities that reflect a strong interest in exploring new concepts or technologies.
Able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Secret level clearance.
U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Software experience developing applications using at least one of the following: C, C++, Rust, Python.
Hardware design experience using at least one of the following: SolidWorks, Autodesk, Ansys, AutoCAD, or MATLAB.
Exposure to robotics, autonomy, AI/ML, or algorithm development.
Experience with ROS, Linux-based development, simulation environments, or GPU acceleration.
Knowledge of machine learning, perception, or decision-making algorithms.
Interest in working on quick-reaction, mission-driven projects.

Responsibilities

Work with a small, interdisciplinary team to design, implement, and test software and/or hardware for robotic and autonomous systems, including simulation and real-world deployment.
Support the development of autonomy and AI/ML algorithms, including perception, navigation, and platform behaviors, through brainstorming, prototyping, implementation, and optimization.
Support testing, evaluation, and debugging of autonomy algorithms in lab, simulation, and field environments.