About the role#
Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories is looking for a Ph.D. student to research foundation models for humanoid robot loco-manipulation. You will work on factory automation tasks like material handling, kitting, and tool manipulation. This role focuses on the capabilities, safety, and robustness of these models in warehouse and manufacturing environments. You will collaborate with our researchers to build novel algorithms for long-horizon manipulation on real humanoid hardware.
What you'll do#
- Integrate Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models, world models, and robot control systems.
- Develop humanoid platforms for mobile manipulation tasks.
- Create algorithms for failure recovery and complex material handling.
- Work with the team to publish findings in top robotics and AI conferences.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment in a Ph.D. program for Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Hands-on experience with VLA models or multimodal foundation models for robotics.
- Research experience in world models for robotic planning or decision making.
- Proficiency in robotic simulation and sim-to-real transfer using tools like Isaac Lab or MuJoCo.
- A strong publication record in venues such as RSS, ICRA, T-RO, RA-L, NeurIPS, or ICML.
- Experience with whole-body control, contact-rich manipulation, or force-controlled manipulation.
- Background in reinforcement learning, imitation learning, 3D vision, or state estimation.
- Experience deploying algorithms on actual humanoid hardware.
Location & details#
- This position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- The role is on-site and full-time.
- We offer a rolling start date and flexible duration.
About Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories
Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories is the United States subsidiary of the corporate research and development division of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Founded in 1991 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the organization employs between 51 and 200 people. It conducts basic and applied research in fields such as artificial intelligence, signal processing, and multi-physical modeling. The laboratory publishes its findings to support collaboration with the global research community.
How to get in at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories
Securing an internship at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories requires timing. Because early applicants are often reviewed before the candidate pool becomes unmanageable, you should use Intern Insider to receive an instant alert the moment a new role is published. This helps you submit your materials among the first candidates. Reaching out to the right person is equally important. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company's roles, allowing you to contact them directly to ask about the position or a potential referral. This direct outreach often improves your response rates compared to submitting an application through a standard queue.
