Robotics Engineer

Human Computer Lab • San Francisco, CA

4h

About The Position

Human Computer Lab is building robots that feel alive and responsive. We are a fast-paced and focused team, with the goal of pushing the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and intentional. We’re looking for a controls/mechatronics engineer who wants to own the systems that make LeLamp move, respond, and feel alive. You’ll work at the intersection of hardware and software, designing and tuning control systems, integrating actuators and sensors, and debugging real hardware at the bench to translate intent into expressive motion. This is a high-ownership role working closely with the CEO and founding team across the full mechatronic stack, from low-level motor control and sensor fusion through to the higher-level behaviors that make the robot feel responsive and intentional in the real world.

Requirements

• Masters/PhD (or equivalent experience) in robotics, mechatronics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience tuning control systems on real robotic hardware.
• Fluent in C++ and/or Python for robotics or embedded control work.
• Experience with ROS or ROS2 and real-time robotics software stacks.
• Comfortable working with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or Onshape.
• Experience with actuators, motor drivers, encoders, and IMUs across the full signal chain.
• Strong at hardware debugging using tools like oscilloscopes and signal tracing.
• Experience building URDF models and working with simulators such as Gazebo, MuJoCo, or Isaac Sim.
• Comfortable working in environments where system architecture is still evolving.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with impedance control, torque control, or whole-body control on physical robots
• Experience with sensor fusion, state estimation, or Kalman filtering on hardware systems
• Embedded programming experience on microcontrollers or DSPs in a controls context
• Experience shaping expressive or character-driven robot motion
• Drawn to the physical reality of robotics. You want to see the system move, not just pass a simulation.
• Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect conditions to make progress.
• Take ownership over the feel of the robot's motion, not just its correctness.
• Work well in small, collaborative teams where controls, mechanical, and electrical are in constant conversation.
• Care about the person on the other end, and understand that how the robot moves is a big part of how it feels to live with.

Responsibilities

• Design and tune control systems for actuated subsystems including motion control, feedback, and dynamic response.
• Integrate actuators, sensors, encoders, and embedded electronics into reliable mechatronic assemblies.
• Develop control algorithms in C++ and/or Python from simulation through deployment on hardware.
• Build and maintain URDF models and simulation environments aligned with the physical platform.
• Diagnose real-world control issues such as instability, backlash, latency, drift, and sensor noise.
• Collaborate with animators, mechanical and electrical engineers on actuator selection, structure, sensing strategy and motion fine-tuning
• Develop motion primitives and expressive behaviors that shape how the robot moves.
• Maintain documentation of control architecture and tuning decisions as the system evolves.

Benefits

• We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior