Autonomous Systems Intern

About the role

MITRE is a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. We lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies, collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity.

The Autonomous and Intelligent Systems Department develops cutting-edge autonomous systems, robotics capabilities, and AI solutions. This internship offers hands-on experience building robots, artificial intelligence projects, and evaluating state-of-the-art systems in direct support of sponsor programs and internal R&D.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of engineers and researchers to apply academic knowledge and gain hands-on experience
• Autonomous ground, air, surface, or underwater vehicles
• Robot perception and sensor fusion (e.g., cameras, LiDAR, radar, IMU, GPS)
• Motion planning, navigation, and control for robotic platforms
• Real-time and embedded software for robotics
• Robotics-focused Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
• Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and state estimation
• Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) and operator interfaces
• Multi-agent and swarm robotics
• Modeling, simulation, and digital twins for robotic systems
• Safety, reliability, and verification of autonomous systems
• Cybersecurity for robotic and autonomous platforms
• Field testing, experimentation, and data collection with robotic systems
• Robotics hardware and software integration

Requirements

• Full-time student pursuing an accredited degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Must continue to be enrolled the semester following the internship
• Foundational knowledge of robotics and/or autonomous systems concepts such as robotic architectures, kinematics, dynamics, control, perception, or planning
• Familiarity with relevant software tools (e.g., C/C++, Python, ROS, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar)
• Sustained excellence in academic performance
• Demonstrated interest in serving the public or advancing societal missions through previous work experience, volunteer activities, or other relevant engagements—especially in areas involving robotics or autonomous systems

Qualifications

• Experience applying robotics or autonomous systems coursework in an internship, research lab, project team (e.g., robotics club, competition team), or independent project
• Proficiency with robotics software frameworks and tools (e.g., ROS/ROS2, Gazebo or other simulators, embedded development environments, version control such as Git)
• Experience with one or more of the following:
  • Robot perception and computer vision
  • Path planning, navigation, and control algorithms
  • Real-time and embedded systems for robotics
  • Machine learning for perception or decision-making in autonomous systems
  • Modeling, simulation, and hardware-in-the-loop testing

Pay

Salary compensation range: $46,500 – $58,000 – $69,500 annually

Schedule

Work location type: Onsite