Robotics Intern, Human-Machine Interaction Research

In the Human-Machine Interaction Research group (HMIR), we design, develop, and evaluate novel approaches to human-machine interaction. Our research explores how intelligent systems can support human performance, collaboration, and well-being across a range of real-world contexts.

The Internship

As a summer research intern, you will explore how embodied AI agents can understand and support people collaborating on real-world physical tasks. You will develop and evaluate prototypes that leverage multimodal AI to interpret human activities and provide context-aware assistance. Through user studies, you will investigate when and how AI assistance can support teamwork without disrupting natural collaboration.

• Design and develop prototypes that enable embodied AI agents to support people collaborating on physical tasks.
• Leverage multimodal AI to understand human activities, task progress, and collaborative interactions.
• Develop and evaluate interaction strategies that enable embodied AI agents to adapt their assistance to different contexts and collaborative situations.
• Integrate AI models and interaction logic with robotic hardware to enable real-time human-robot interaction.
• Design and conduct user studies to investigate how AI assistance influences human collaboration, task performance, and user experience.
• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate system effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of research scientists and engineers across Toyota Research Institute.
• Communicate research findings through presentations and written reports, including potential submissions to leading international research venues.

• Design and develop prototypes that enable embodied AI agents to support people collaborating on physical tasks.
• Leverage multimodal AI to understand human activities, task progress, and collaborative interactions.
• Develop and evaluate interaction strategies that enable embodied AI agents to adapt their assistance to different contexts and collaborative situations.
• Integrate AI models and interaction logic with robotic hardware to enable real-time human-robot interaction.
• Design and conduct user studies to investigate how AI assistance influences human collaboration, task performance, and user experience.
• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate system effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of research scientists and engineers across Toyota Research Institute.
• Communicate research findings through presentations and written reports, including potential submissions to leading international research venues.

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, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. 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.

Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.

This is a paid 12-week internship opportunity and is a hybrid, in-office role.

Here’s a glimpse into the Internship experience from some of our TRI interns!

The Mission

Our team works to understand how people interact with intelligent systems and develops human-machine interfaces that enable individuals to work seamlessly with AI, particularly in physically interactive settings. We aim to create technologies that enhance human capability and allow humans and AI to operate in harmony across a wide range of real-world contexts.