Human Interactive Driving Intern – Localization and Mapping

Los Altos, CA - USA

Hourly Salary: $ 45 - 65

Posted on: 30+ days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI) were on a mission to improve the quality of human life. Were developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility weve built a world-class team in Automated Driving Energy & Materials Human-Centered AI Human Interactive Driving Large Behavior Models and Robotics.

This is a Summer 2026 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be a hybrid in-office role.

The Team

Within the Extreme Performance Intelligent Control team we are developing techniques to advance vehicle safety and performance capabilities using tools from machine learning optimization and control theory. We are pursuing a cooperative approach to high-performance driving by developing predictive models and control frameworks for extreme vehicle maneuvering that match or exceed the skills of expert drivers. We envision a world where these tools allow each vehicle to support its driver creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

The Internship

We are looking for a research intern to develop new perception modeling and/or control methodologies for high-performance driving that infer and reason about uncertainty. This is an opportunity to apply your knowledge to novel problems and develop impactful research. This paid 12-week Summer 2026 internship is a hybrid in-office role in our headquarters in Los Altos CA and will involve experiments with high-performance vehicles on a closed racetrack.

Responsibilities

Develop novel perception algorithms for high-performance driving.
Implement deploy and evaluate models and algorithms on high-performance cars.
Present results in verbal and written communications at international conferences and internally.

Qualifications

Ph.D. candidate working on related fields: robot perception computer vision robot learning deep learning or related fields.
Proficiency in at least one of the following: Python C ROS(2) Pytorch CUDA JAX.
Familiarity in one of the following areas: semantic mapping SLAM and foundation models.
Experience in deploying algorithms on real-world platforms.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
Strong interest in pushing the limits of robot autonomy.
Strong publication records in top conferences and journals including RSS CVPR ECCV ICCV ICRA RA-L NeurIPS ICLR etc.

Bonus Qualifications

Publications related to semantic mapping neural distance fields Gaussian Splatting.
Publications related to SLAM Lidar/Visual Odometry and Structure from Motion.
Publications related to foundational models.

Please add a link to Google Scholar to include a full list of publications when submitting your CV for this position.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $45 and $65/hour for California-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors including but not limited to business or organizational needs market location job-related knowledge skills and experience. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical dental and vision insurance and paid time off benefits (including holiday pay and sick time). Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

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Required Experience:

Intern