Atlas Staff Perception Engineer, Tactile Sensing

Boston Dynamics; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 134,399 - 184,798; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Annual bonus

Job summary

Boston Dynamics is seeking a Staff Perception Engineer focused on tactile sensing to advance robotic manipulation. You will design sensing data systems that transform raw tactile signals into meaningful representations guiding intelligent robot behavior.

You will work at the intersection of signal processing, simulation, machine learning, and robotics, building high-bandwidth data acquisition pipelines that enable robots to perceive contact, force, and interaction.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field; BS with significant relevant experience will be considered
• 5+ years of experience developing embedded systems in robotics, automation, or similar electromechanical products
• Strong understanding of tactile sensing physics and modeling sensor behavior
• Experience using Git and developing Python/C++ for robotic systems with high-bandwidth data acquisition
• Proficiency in Python and PyTorch for sensor data processing or representation learning
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to design, evaluate, and demonstrate tactile sensing data representations for reliable closed-loop manipulation
• Architect and implement high-bandwidth data pipelines to acquire, process, and stream data from tactile sensors
• Design automated data collection routines using robot end-effectors or test rigs to generate ground-truth datasets for calibration and modeling
• Test sensor behavior under loads, motion, vibration, and thermal variation
• Develop data processing pipelines using DSP techniques to filter, fuse, and compress sensor signals for perception models
• Model sensor performance and integrate tactile sensing into simulated environments to bridge sim-to-real gaps
• Collaborate with software, systems, manufacturing, and test teams to define hardware interfaces and ensure integration
• Document designs, experiments, and learnings to improve development processes and standards

Skills

Python

C++

Git

PyTorch

Deep learning

DSP techniques

Education

MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics (BS with experience also considered)

Job description

We're looking for a Staff Perception Engineer specializing in tactile sensing to help advance the next generation of robotic manipulation. In this role, you will design and develop sensing data systems that allow robots to physically interact with the world, transforming raw tactile signals into meaningful data representations that drive intelligent robot behavior.

You will work at the intersection of signal processing, simulation, machine learning, and robotics, developing high-bandwidth data acquisition pipelines that enable robots to perceive contact, force, and interaction with their environment. This role requires hands-on experimentation and close collaboration with teams across software, systems, and controls engineering to build perception solutions that improve the capabilities and reliability of robotic platforms operating in dynamic environments.

How you will make an impact

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to design, evaluate, and demonstrate tactile sensing data representations that enable reliable closed-loop robotic manipulation and interaction with the environment
• Architect and implement highly optimized data pipelines to acquire, process, and stream high-bandwidth data from tactile sensors
• Design and deploy automated data collection routines using robot end-effectors or instrumented test rigs to generate ground-truth datasets for sensor calibration and modeling
• Design and deploy automated data collection routines using robot end-effectors or instrumented test rigs to generate ground-truth datasets for sensor calibration and modeling
• Conduct hands‑on testing to characterize sensor behavior under operational loads including motion, vibration, and thermal variation
• Develop data processing pipelines that leverage advanced DSP techniques to filter, fuse, and compress raw sensor signals into optimized representations used by robotic perception and behavior models
• Model sensor performance and drive the integration of tactile sensing into simulated virtual environments (e.g., Isaac Sim, MuJoCo) to effectively bridge the sim-to-real gap
• Work closely with software, systems, manufacturing, and test engineering teams to define hardware interfaces and ensure successful system integration
• Document designs, experiments, and learnings while contributing to improved development processes, tools, and design standards

Required Experience

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field. BS with significant relevant experience will also be considered
• 5+ years of experience developing embedded systems in robotics, automation, or similar electromechanical products
• Strong understanding of the physical principles behind tactile sensing and the ability to model sensor behavior and translate physical limitations into robust data representations
• Experience using version-control (Git) and developing software in Python and C++ for robotic systems, emphasizing high-bandwidth data acquisition.
• Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch applied to sensor data processing or representation learning
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills

Desired Experience

• Experience designing and executing hardware-based data collection campaigns to generate ground-truth datasets for sensor calibration, modeling, or simulation environments such as Mujoco or Isaac Sim
• Experience integrating multiple sensor modalities such as vision, force/torque sensors, IMUs, or tactile arrays into complex electromechanical systems to build cohesive environmental representations.
• Certifications related to robotics safety, reliability engineering, or IPC standards are a plus

The pay range for this position is between $134,399.06 to $184,798.70 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

• Boston Dynamics offers a generous Benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401(k), paid time off and a annual bonus structure.
• Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.