Embedded Systems Intern

Company Description Backed by leading climate and American dynamism investors, Terranova builds intelligent robotic systems to terraform the Earth itself - lifting land, restoring wetlands, and protecting critical infrastructure from floods and sea-level rise. Our mission is to preserve the built environment, create new habitats, and usher in an era of abundance. Our work supports climate resilience, disaster recovery, and defense across the United States and beyond. We’re assembling a world-class team that wants to work on something real, physical, and civilization-scale. If you want your work to reshape the world (literally), this is the place to do it. What to to Expect We’re seeking a mechatronics and controls intern to develop algorithms that give our robotic systems adaptive, intelligent behavior. You’ll design and tune controllers, build dynamic models, and integrate them with perception and sensor data. This is a chance to bridge classical control with modern machine learning to shape how machines move through the Earth. Key Responsibilities * Develop and tune controllers (PID, MPC, optimal/robust control) for dynamic, nonlinear systems. * Build and validate physical models for simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and autonomy. * Train and deploy ML models for perception, planning, or adaptive control (supervised or RL). * Integrate algorithms with firmware and cloud teams, ensuring real-time safety and stability. * Profile, optimize, and verify performance under latency, jitter, and compute constraints * Comfortable with the pace and intensity of early-stage startup life * Working towards a bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Robotics or related field * U.S. permanent residency required Preferred Skills and Experience * Lots of hobby/personal projects and evidence of being a maker * LiDAR integration and use * Python/C++ with PyTorch/JAX * MPC/OSQP/CasADi * EKF/UKF/factor graphs * System ID, RL (PPO/SAC) with safety shields * ROS2, ONNX/TensorRT * Latency and jitter profiling * PCB and embedded systems design skills are a huge bonus Compensation and Timeline * $25-35/hr + relocation + company perks * Fall Internship from August-December depending on your school schedule

Company Description Backed by leading climate and American dynamism investors, Terranova builds intelligent robotic systems to terraform the Earth itself - lifting land, restoring wetlands, and protecting critical infrastructure from floods and sea-level rise. Our mission is to preserve the built environment, create new habitats, and usher in an era of abundance. Our work supports climate resilience, disaster recovery, and defense across the United States and beyond. We’re assembling a world-class team that wants to work on something real, physical, and civilization-scale. If you want your work to reshape the world (literally), this is the place to do it. What to to Expect As a Mechanical Engineer Intern at Terranova, you will own the mechanical design of large-scale industrial systems while maintaining a systems-level overview across mechanical, electrical, and controls disciplines. You thrive in a startup environment - owning problems end-to-end, moving fast, and building machines that survive the real world. You’ll lead projects from concept through field deployment: designing, analyzing, fabricating, and testing large-scale robotic systems that operate in the most demanding environments on Earth. Expect to be hands-on, spend long hours in the factory and in the field working alongside technicians and operators. Key Responsibilities * Act as an extreme owner for mechanical and electromechanical aspects of Terranova's field deployed industrial systems * Perform first-principles engineering, FEA, hand calculations to optimize designs for real-world operation environments * Prototype builds, execute test campaigns, and push hardware to its limits to ensure field reliability * Collaborate closely with electrical, controls, and field deployment teams to deliver integrated, battle-tested systems * Drive failure analysis, testing, and iterative improvement based on real-world data Preferred Skills and Experience * Real world experience in mechanical or electromechanical hardware design and analysis (plus for experience in machinery, robotics, or heavy industrial equipment ) * Strong CAD proficiency (OnShape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or NX) * Hands-on fabrication and prototyping skills - you enjoy working in the shop - have a history of working on hobby projects * Deep mechanical intuition and ability to design from first principles * Comfortable with the pace and intensity of early-stage startup life, including long days, 6-day workweeks, and extended field hours * Working towards a bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field * U.S. permanent residency required Nice to Have Skills * Experience in high voltage AC power (480V, 120+ kW) conversion systems and lithium batteries * Experience with pumps and fluidics * Experience in electromechanical controls, hydraulics, or field-deployed systems * Familiarity with C++, Python, or similar for controls or simulation * Experience with compliance, HAZOP, or FMEA tools for machine safety * PCB and embedded systems design skills are a huge bonus Compensation and Timeline * $25-35/hr + relocation + company perks * Fall Internship from August-December depending on your school schedule