Robotics Intern - Human-Robot Interaction

Toyota Research Institute•Cambridge, MA

41d•$40 - $58•Onsite

About The Position

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we're on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We're developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we've built a world-class team in Automated Driving, Energy & Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human-Interactive Driving, Large Behavior Models, and Robotics. This is a summer 2026 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be an in-office role. Our goal is to revolutionize the field of robotic manipulation, enabling long-horizon dexterous behaviors to be efficiently taught, learned, and improved over time in diverse, real-world environments. Our team has deep cross-functional expertise across simulation, perception, controls, and machine learning, and we measure our success in terms of fundamental capabilities development, as well as research impact via open-source software and publications. Our north star is fundamental technological advancement in building robots that can flexibly perform a wide variety of tasks in diverse environments with minimal human supervision. Come join us and let's make general-purpose robots a reality. We operate a fleet of robots, and robot-embodied teaching and deployment is a key part of our strategy. Some of our ongoing work is highlighted here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-CGSQAO5-Q) We are looking for an intern researcher to join our team in the Cambridge, MA office! In collaboration with the wider Robotics division, you will focus on understanding how general population (non-roboticist) users teach different robot embodiments to perform real-world tasks to their preferences through multimodal modes of communication (e.g., visual, auditory, tactile, etc). You will plan and implement a human-robot interaction study, including the implementation of various teaching modes for users to engage with. You may incorporate a longitudinal element to the project, exploring how user expectations may adapt over multiple interactions with robot behaviors. Findings from the user study may yield peer-reviewed conference papers or journal articles. Lastly, you will have the opportunity to present your study findings to your colleagues and the larger TRI organization. We welcome you to join a positive, friendly, and enthusiastic team of researchers, where your research will contribute to helping people gain independence, access, and mobility.

Requirements

Pursuing an MS or PhD degree in Human-Robot Interaction, Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
2+ years of experience as an academic Human-Robot Interaction researcher
Strong software engineering skills (C++ / Python preferred) and experience analyzing/debugging autonomous robotic systems.
Experience with deploying and/or field-servicing prototype technologies.
Experience conducting user studies involving real robot hardware.
Experience with writing peer-reviewed conference papers or journal articles as lead author.
Desire to contribute back to the robotics community with publications and open source code.
Passion for seeing robotics help humans and have a real-world, large-scale impact.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with original ROS/ROS 2 or similar middleware, and with robotic simulators including Drake, Mujoco, Bullet, etc
Experience with behavior cloning and related imitation learning methods.
Experience with interactive machine learning techniques that adapt robot policies given human feedback/corrections.
Experience with qualitative and quantitative user research, including developing user study materials, IRB applications, facilitation and interviewing, management of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and statistical analysis.
Experience with UX design principles and high-fidelity prototyping.
System integration experience around complex, open-ended, and multi-functional projects.

Responsibilities

Plan and implement a human-robot interaction study, including the implementation of various teaching modes for users to engage with.
Incorporate a longitudinal element to the project, exploring how user expectations may adapt over multiple interactions with robot behaviors.
Findings from the user study may yield peer-reviewed conference papers or journal articles.
Present study findings to colleagues and the larger TRI organization.