Robotics Solutions Architect - Intern at Altera in San Jose, CA

Summary: Altera is a robotics solutions company seeking a Robotics Solutions Architect-Intern. The role involves defining robotics system architectures, collaborating on FPGA acceleration, and translating research into practical architectures while working with cross-functional teams. Responsibilities: - Define end‑to‑end robotics system architectures spanning sensors, compute, control, communication, and actuation - Evaluate hardware‑software partitioning strategies with a focus on FPGA acceleration - Design scalable, modular architectures for real‑time robotic systems - Identify robotics workloads suitable for FPGA acceleration (e.g., perception pipelines, sensor fusion, control loops, AI inference) - Collaborate with FPGA engineers to map algorithms onto RTL, HLS, or FPGA SoC platforms - Analyze latency, throughput, determinism, and power trade‑offs - Translate research concepts into practical, deployable architectures - Conduct performance benchmarking and comparative evaluations against CPU/GPU implementations - Contribute to internal white papers, or technical blogs - Work with software, silicon, and product teams to align architectural decisions with business and platform roadmaps - Support customer‑facing demos, proofs‑of‑concept, and technical presentations when needed Required Qualifications: - Currently pursuing a PhD in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field - Strong foundation in robotics systems, including perception, control, or autonomy - Good understanding of digital hardware concepts (FPGA, SoC, embedded systems) - Experience with at least one of the following: FPGA design (Verilog/VHDL, HLS), Embedded systems (ARM, real‑time OS), Robotics middleware (ROS/ROS 2), Proficiency in C/C++, Python, or similar languages Preferred Qualifications: - Hands‑on experience with FPGA platforms - Familiarity with real‑time systems, low‑latency design, or safety‑critical robotics - Exposure to AI/ML acceleration at the edge - Publication record in robotics, embedded systems, or hardware acceleration - Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear architectural narratives Required Skills: Robotics systems, Perception, Control, Autonomy, Digital hardware concepts, FPGA design, Verilog, VHDL, High-level synthesis, Embedded systems, ARM architecture, Real-time operating systems, Robotics middleware, ROS, ROS 2, C++, Python Benefits: Incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance