Subsystem · ROB

Manipulation

Arm kinematics, control, and the teleoperation interface an operator relies on in the field.

Lead position openTaking members

An operator who cannot see the rover directly has to complete precise physical tasks with it. Everything between their hands and the end effector — the control mapping, the camera views, the latency, the arm’s own dynamics — either helps them or fights them.

What makes it hard

Teleoperation over a long link is not the same problem as arm control on a bench. Feedback arrives late, video is compressed, and the operator has no peripheral vision. An arm that is easy to control at 5ms of latency can be unusable at 300ms. Designing for the link we actually have is the constraint that shapes this subsystem.

What you’d get out of it

Robotics work that spans mechanism design, control and human factors — and an unusually direct feedback loop, because you can watch someone try to use what you built and immediately see where it fails them.

What you'd work on
Arm kinematics and workspace design against the tasks we have to complete
Joint-level control, calibration and compliance
The teleoperation interface — how an operator sees and commands the arm
Gripper and end-effector design for real field objects
Latency compensation so the arm stays usable over a slow link

Tools

ROS 2 / MoveIt Python, C++ Fusion 360 / SolidWorks Dynamixel and BLDC actuators

Lead opening

Owns Manipulation end to end — the technical direction, the schedule, and the people.

Subsystem lead

Own the arm from kinematic design through the operator interface, and the test plan that proves it works under field conditions.

LEAD OPEN

Member openings

Join the subsystem and own a piece of it. No lead experience needed.

Controls engineer

Joint control, calibration, and making the arm behave predictably at the end of a laggy link.

OPEN

Teleop interface developer

Build the operator's view — camera feeds, state display, and the control mapping that makes the arm usable.

OPEN
Apply to Manipulation