Machine Learning Research Perception Intern - Spring 2027 - Santa Clara, CA
About The Position
We are currently looking for a Machine Learning Research Intern - Perception to join our team in Santa Clara, CA. With a focus on mobility and autonomous driving technologies, Nissan is seeking researchers who want to challenge themselves, develop their skills, and contribute to the future of intelligent vehicles. On our team, we focus on advancing perception technologies that enable autonomous vehicles to understand and interact safely with their surroundings. Machine learning-based perception models are at the core of modern autonomous driving systems, supporting critical functions such as moving object detection and tracking, road structure estimation, and environmental understanding. As an intern on the Autonomous Driving Systems team, you will gain hands-on experience validating and evaluating state-of-the-art perception models deployed on autonomous vehicle platforms. Working closely with researchers and engineers, you will evaluate machine learning models using large-scale real-world driving datasets, develop validation methodologies and performance metrics, analyze model behavior under diverse traffic and environmental conditions, and identify opportunities to improve system robustness and reliability.
Requirements
- Must be currently enrolled in a Master's or PhD degree program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
- GPA of 3.0 or above (Candidates will be required to provide an official or unofficial transcript during the application process for verification.)
- Strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python.
- Fundamental understanding of machine learning concepts and methodologies.
- Experience with data analysis and data visualization tools.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Self-motivated with a willingness to challenge yourself and continuously develop your technical capabilities.
- Ability to work effectively in a collaborative research and development environment.
- Ability to perform work onsite in Santa Clara, CA.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with computer vision, perception systems, robotics, or autonomous driving technologies.
- Experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
- Familiarity with Linux and Robot Operating System (ROS).
- Knowledge of object detection, object tracking, semantic segmentation, or 3D perception algorithms.
- Experience analyzing large-scale sensor datasets from cameras, LiDAR, radar, or similar sensing systems.
Responsibilities
- Gain hands-on experience evaluating cutting-edge machine learning models for autonomous vehicle perception applications.
- Develop practical skills in perception system validation, statistical performance assessment, data mining, and large-scale dataset analysis.
- Evaluate and benchmark perception models using real-world autonomous vehicle data.
- Analyze model performance under varying environmental, traffic, and operational conditions.
- Develop validation methodologies, performance metrics, and reporting tools to assess system effectiveness.
- Collaborate with experienced autonomous vehicle engineers and researchers on next-generation perception technologies.
Benefits
- Business Synergy Teams (ERGs)
- opportunities for employees to strengthen relationships and connect with colleagues from diverse backgrounds
- rich innovation offerings
- seminars
- learning platforms
- leadership development programs
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
