Summer 2026 - Autonomous Lab Intern
About The Position
We are seeking technical interns for our 2026 Summer Internship Program. Interns will be expected to work either in the Noblis Autonomous Systems Lab in Reston, VA or at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, VA performing hands-on robotics and programming work as part of a small team that delivers advanced autonomous prototypes. This internship will provide an opportunity to work with a technical team of experienced roboticists. Interns are full project members that work on small, mainly self-directed, subprojects of a larger prototype project. Interns can expect to develop experience working within small programming/engineering teams in a workplace environment. On the technical side they will grow in their understanding of mechanical design, Autodesk Fusion, Python, C++, Linux, Robot Operating System (ROS), microcontrollers, machine learning/vision, and topics in autonomous robotics including perception, sensor fusion, SLAM, localization and autonomous navigation. The ideal candidate has experience with rapid prototyping and prior exposure to robotics. Experience in one or more of programming, machine learning, Robot Operating System (ROS), Computer Aided Design (CAD), and robotics is recommended.
Requirements
- US Citizen
- 3.3 GPA
- Pursuing degree in computer science, engineering, computering engineering, or related with an intended graduation date between December 2026 - May 2028
- Experience with rapid prototyping of electronics, software, or mechanical prototypes.
- Strong self-organization and self-management skills, with emphasis on self-initiation and follow through
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Nice To Haves
- Candidate can write Robot Operating System code. Candidate can design nodes that communicate over topics and services.
- Candidate understands theoretical topics, like control theory (PID) and object tracking (e.g. Kalman filter).
- Candidate has experience using version control (Git) and automated tests.
- Candidate can implement software with multi-threading and networking in Python or C++.
- Candidate can implement and train neural networks. Candidate understands concepts like overfitting, why activation functions are nonlinear, the purpose of data augmentation.
- Candidate can implement basic search algorithms, like A.
- Candidate has experience machining or printing prototypes.
- Candidate is familiar with a CAD program, such as Autodesk or SolidWorks.
- Candidate can build circuits with actuators and sensors.
- Candidate has familiarity with basic electronics equipment: multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies.
- Candidate understands common microcontroller protocols: UART, SPI, I2C.
- Candidate can install and configure Linux based operating systems.
- Candidate is comfortable with a command line interface and related tools (GNU Core Utilities).
Responsibilities
- work either in the Noblis Autonomous Systems Lab in Reston, VA or at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, VA performing hands-on robotics and programming work as part of a small team that delivers advanced autonomous prototypes
- work with a technical team of experienced roboticists
- work on small, mainly self-directed, subprojects of a larger prototype project
- develop experience working within small programming/engineering teams in a workplace environment
- grow in their understanding of mechanical design, Autodesk Fusion, Python, C++, Linux, Robot Operating System (ROS), microcontrollers, machine learning/vision, and topics in autonomous robotics including perception, sensor fusion, SLAM, localization and autonomous navigation
Benefits
- health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits
- paid leave
- professional development
- tuition assistance
- work-life programs
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
