Apptronik

Sr. Software Engineer - Wheeled Controls

Austin, TX · Senior

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 13 days ago

C++AlgorithmsProduct ManagementLogisticsRoboticsMechanical DesignElectrical EngineeringSensorsControlsCommunicationActuators

About the role

This role focuses on the critical software layer that coordinates wheeled mobility with upper-body manipulation, ensuring our platforms move and interact with precision, stability, and reliability in complex environments.
You thrive on the challenge of coordinating base motion with arm/torso dynamics, managing coupled reaction forces, and ensuring our products are robust enough for mission-critical applications.
This includes implementing safety-rated speed monitoring, emergency stop logic, and ensuring compliance with industry safety certifications ((e.g., ISO 13849, ISO 10218, ANSI/RIA R15.08)

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life.
Design, implement, and tune whole-body controllers that coordinate wheeled base motion with upper-body manipulation.
Develop the low-level software interface between high-level planning stacks and both wheel drive and upper-body actuators (joints, grippers), ensuring deterministic performance, low-latency communication, and coordinated multi-DOF control.
Drive the transition of wheeled platforms to market-ready status.
Maintain high standards for the codebase by writing production-grade, real-time C++.
Lead peer reviews and maintain comprehensive documentation for the controls architecture.
Expertise in modeling and identifying the dynamics of complex electromechanical drive systems.
Direct experience taking a wheeled-base platform through the full product lifecycle, from initial control design to factory exit and customer deployment.

Must be able to lift 50 pounds at times
Strong experience with Kalman Filtering and sensor fusion (IMU, encoders, LiDAR, F/T sensors) for whole-body state estimation.
High proficiency in modern C++ (14/17/20) for real-time systems, with a focus on memory management and performance optimization.
Extensive experience with Custom middleware and its real-time capabilities.
Estimation & Fusion: Strong experience with Kalman Filtering and sensor fusion (IMU, encoders, LiDAR, F/T sensors) for whole-body state estimation.
Expert C++: High proficiency in modern C++ (14/17/20) for real-time systems, with a focus on memory management and performance optimization.
Middleware: Extensive experience with Custom middleware and its real-time capabilities.

This includes state-estimation (EKF, UKF), base controllers (MPC, PID), and arm/torso trajectory tracking with dynamic coupling compensation.

Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

This listing is sourced directly from Apptronik's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.