ISTD Robotics Graduate Research Assistant - Fall 2026 - ATAS

About the Role

The Robotic Branch of the Intelligent Sustainable Technologies Division within the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced System Laboratory is looking for a Graduate Research Assistant, for Fall 2026, to work on various aspects of dexterous control of robotic manipulation, integrating machine learning techniques into robotic behaviors, and testing and documentation of results from autonomous systems.

Responsibilities

• Work in a group setting to design, develop and implement various mechanical and electrical systems for use on ROS and ROS2 robotic platforms
• Background research
• Programming
• Debugging
• Testing

Required Qualifications

• Pursuing a Master's degree or PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, or Robotics Engineering
• 3.0 or higher GPA
• Must be enrolled full-time (12+ credit hours)

Preferred Qualifications

• Pursuing Knowledge of design principles
• Experience with rigid body transformations and their numeric representations
• Strong math skills and ability to learn complex engineering concepts
• Familiarity with Linux and open source tools
• Familiarity with configuration management tools (git in particular)
• C++ and Python experience
• Prototyping and 3D printing experience
• ROS/ROS 2 experience in creating nodes, services, topics
• Ability to clearly communicate technical ideas to non-technical personnel

Schedule

• 10–20 hours per week