We are seeking a full time robotics / mechatronics engineer, with strong software skills.
We build assistive robots for the home - social robots to deliver therapy, and robots with arms for domestic tasks for people with disability
Must be willing to travel every 4-6 weeks
About the company
Akin is a Public Benefit AI and Robotics company. We build robots for the home for daily living tasks. Although our technology can be used in any home, we have a focus on supporting people with disability
This is a unique opportunity to apply your skills to a meaningful challenge, creating technology that makes a real difference in people's lives. You will be instrumental in integrating a complex suite of sensors, actuators, and AI software using ROS2. You'll help bring our assistive robots to life, enabling them to perceive, communicate, and interact in a way that provides connection, and meaningful support.
The ideal candidate should bring strong expertise in ROS2 node development and integration, combined with proficiency in Python and C++ for embedded systems. They should understand how to interface with electronics and communication buses, while also being able to connect ROS2 systems to backend databases and cloud services.
Responsibilities
* Whole development lifecycle (
design, development, printing, assembly and testing social robots)
* Support
junior engineers
* Develop ROS2 Drivers & Nodes:
Create and maintain ROS2 packages in C++ and Python to integrate and manage hardware components, including:
* Audio I/O:
A multi-channel
microphone array
and
speakers
.
* Visuals:
A high-resolution
camera
and an expressive
screen
to display a variety of emotions and information.
* Interaction & Movement:
NFC/RFID
readers for secure connectivity and various
actuators (servos)
for precise physical movement.
* Implement Onboard AI:
Work with the
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano
to integrate and optimize machine learning models for:
* Speech:
Text-to-Speech (TTS) and Speech-to-Text (STT) processing.
* Vision:
Real-time
image recognition
and image processing from the camera feed.
* Cognition:
Assist in deploying and interfacing with Language Models
* Integrate with External Services:
Connect the robot's software to external APIs using
HTTP
,
REST
,
GraphQL
, and
WebSockets
to pull data and trigger actions from cloud services.
* Build CI/CD Pipelines:
Help design and establish a robust
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline
using
Docker
for containerizing applications, enabling automated testing and Over-the-Air (
OTA
) deployment of the robot's software stack.
* System Integration & Debugging:
Collaborate closely with hardware and software engineers to troubleshoot and resolve complex integration issues across the entire robotic system.
Qualifications
* Bachelor's or Master's degree in preferred combinations of Mechatronics Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science
* Strong programming proficiency in
C++
and
Python
.
* A genuine passion for using technology to help people.
* Ability to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams, and a great commitment to documentation and continuously learning.
* Experience in system deployment on platforms like Jetson.
* Hands-on experience with
ROS2
.
* Experience with embedded platforms.
* Experience with containerization and orchestration tools like
Docker
and
Kubernetes
.
* Familiarity with web APIs and protocols (
REST
,
GraphQL
,
WebSockets
).
* Previous project work involving sensors (cameras, microphones), actuators (servos), or communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART).
* An interest in machine learning
What you will gain
This role will provide you with deep, practical tasks, applied to a field with a profound social impact and lot of creativity
* Experience
end-to-end deployment
from concept to prototype to manufacture
* Gain invaluable experience in
edge AI
and deploying ML models on embedded systems for real-world applications.
* S
ystems integration
for complex assistive technology.
* Contribute directly to products that make a
measurable difference
in people's lives