Robotics Software Engineer Intern

ARM Institute; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 27,552 - 41,328; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institute in Pittsburgh is seeking a Robotics Software Engineering Intern for an on-site, full-time position. This role involves developing and testing robotics software components and providing support for hardware integration. Ideal candidates are pursuing relevant degrees and demonstrate proficiency in programming languages like Python and C++. Strong teamwork and collaboration skills are critical. This is a chance to gain practical experience in a cutting-edge robotics environment.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related technical field.
• Relevant coursework or personal projects in robotics or software development.
• Experience working in team environments through class projects or student organizations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test robotics software components using Python and C++.
• Debug software across simulation and physical hardware environments.
• Calibrate and integrate new robotic and AI hardware.

Skills

Python

C++

Git

Linux OS

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics

Tools

ROS 1 or ROS 2

Docker

Job description

Company Description

The ARM Institute leads the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to develop and produce the world’s most desired products. As a federally funded national institute, the ARM Institute’s mission is to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative robotics technologies that are the foundation of every advanced manufacturing activity today and into the future.

Robotics Software Engineering Intern / Co‑op

The ARM Institute seeks outstanding students for our internships and co‑ops. We view internships as excellent opportunities for us to learn about potential full‑time hires while also contributing to students’ education and their understanding of work practices in an engineering setting. Please note that this internship is an on‑site and full‑time position. We are looking for college sophomore, junior, senior, masters and PhD level students that have excellent grades, a demonstrated work ethic, and participation in extracurricular activities. Participation in a club or activity where teamwork and collaboration are emphasized – whether it’s First Robotics in High School, Baja SAE, or a non‑engineering interest – we’re interested in how you interact and engage with others, build upon ideas, collaborate, and work through challenges as a team.

In this role, you’ll develop and test robotics software components, build demos of emerging technologies, and support the team across hardware integration, perception, motion planning, and deployment infrastructure. Work assigned to interns depends largely on business needs at the time of internship as well as the experience of the candidate, some examples of work areas include:

• Developing, testing, and maintaining robotics software components using Python and C++
• Debugging software across simulation and physical hardware environments
• Calibrating and integrating new robotic and AI hardware to robotic cells such as sensors, cameras, or other unique software/hardware components
• Creating demonstrations of AI technology for manufacturers
• Contributing to open-source and internal repositories
• Generating containerized robotics applications using Docker for deployment
• Training and/or launching generative/agentic AI
• Contributing to the development of behavior trees or state machines
• Developing control logic and control loops for robotic cells

Relevant Skills

• Proficiency in the following skills is required
  • Python or C++ and basic programming concepts
  • Git
  • Linux based operating systems and basic bash operations
• Candidates should have experience in several of the following areas
  • ROS 1 or ROS 2
  • Robotics hardware integration (sensors, actuators, drivers)
  • Machine learning (PyTorch/TensorFlow, model training, computer vision models, edge deployment, MLOps)
  • Generative / Agentic AI (LLMs, prompt engineering, RAG, agent frameworks, foundation models)
  • Docker
  • Computer vision (OpenCV, camera pipelines, image processing)
  • 3D perception (point clouds, depth sensing, mesh generation)
  • Motion planning (MoveIt, Tesseract, trajectory generation)
  • Sensor fusion and calibration
  • Simulation environments (Isaac Sim, Gazebo)
  • Real‑time systems and control loops
  • Behavior trees or state machines

Experience and Education

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field. Rising juniors, seniors, and graduate students preferred.
• Relevant coursework, personal projects, or research experience in robotics, software development, or related areas
• Experience working in team environments (class projects, research labs, student organizations, hackathons)
• Familiarity with the robotics or industrial automation ecosystem is a plus but not required
• Personal projects, open‑source contributions, or independent technical work (GitHub portfolio, competition teams, hobby projects) are highly valued

Please note: This is an in‑person role in our Pittsburgh office. And consideration will only be given to US Citizens.