Perception / Sensor Engineer – Robotics Hardware

Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world by building risk-aware and reliable AI systems for robotics. The Sensor Systems Engineer will design, integrate, calibrate, and validate sensing systems, ensuring accurate data delivery in various environments while collaborating with multiple teams to develop integrated robotics solutions. Responsibilities Sensor System Design Sensor Architecture: Work across hardware and software teams to define sensing requirements. Identity, test, and select sensors such as LiDARs, depth cameras, GPS, IMUs, ToF, and other devices Systems Integration: Integrate sensors with electrical (USB, Ethernet, I2C, CAN, GMSL), mechanical (mounts, jigs, isolation), and software (configurations, drivers, ROS nodes) systems. Ensuring power, thermal, and protocol compatibility Spatial Performance: Architect system to meet spatial sampling performance requirements including spatial coverage, range, resolution, and transform accuracy Temporal Performance: Implement and validate synchronization strategies, triggering schemes, timestamp encoding, and end-to-end latency minimization Performance Characterization: Evaluate sensor performance (spatial resolution, temporal drift, EMI noise, sync errors etc.). Test under real-world environmental conditions (vibration, lighting, moisture, temperature) Calibration: Design and execute both intrinsic and extrinsic calibrations. Build alignment rigs and calibration boards as needed Optimization: Tune sensor configurations (exposure, gain, filtering, frame rate, etc.) and processing pipeline (filtering etc.) for optimal performance Documentation: Create timing diagrams, sensor maps, coordinate transforms, and maintain all configuration files, launch scripts, driver references, and firmware states Build: Work with vendors to procure sensors. Develop QA checks for incoming units. Support payload integration and manufacturing at scale Debug: Conduct root cause analysis of sensor systems including issues across hardware and software boundaries Monitor: Develop protocols for monitoring the sensing system health, data quality, and calibration status during field deployments Skills Education: B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Physics, or a related field Experience Level: We are recruiting across a wide range of experience levels from entry level engineers to senior and staff engineers Hands-On Sensors Experience: Hands-on work with perception sensors such as LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs, GPS Systems Thinking: Cross-functional collaboration experience across electrical, mechanical, and software teams Sensor Physics: Strong foundation in optics, signal processing, and electromagnetic wave propagation Lab Skills: Hands-on testing, calibration, and debugging skills (oscilloscopes, logs, vibration/thermal setups) Communication Protocols: Experience with protocols such as USB, Ethernet, GMSL, CAN, I2C, and CSI Computer & Software: Experience working with ROS/ROS2, sensor drivers, coordinate transforms (TF), and timing protocols (PTP, NTP, etc.) Timing & Triggers: Experience with timestamping, synchronization, triggering, and latency constraints Calibration & Characterization: Experience designing and executing intrinsic, extrinsic, and temporal calibrations, along with sensor characterization under real-world environmental conditions Simulation: Experience high-fidelity simulation environments (Gazebo, Isaac Sim, RViz) for sensor modeling Scaling: Experience taking systems from prototype to large scale production Field Environments: Experience developing systems for harsh field environments Deployed Robotics: Experience working on robotics deployed in real world settings such as autonomous vehicles, drones, or ruggedized robots Systems Level Robotics: Fluency across software, electrical, and mechanical systems Autonomy Software: Knowledge of autonomy stacks used in robotics. As well as how sensor performance impacts autonomy algorithms Company Overview FieldAI is pioneering the development of a field-proven, hardware agnostic brain technology that enables many different types of robots to operate autonomously in hazardous, offroad, and potentially harsh industrial settings – all without GPS, maps, or any pre-programmed routes. It was founded in 2023, and is headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, USA, with a workforce of 11-50 employees. Its website is Company H1B Sponsorship FieldAI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 9 in 2025. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.