Mechatronics Intern
Physical Intelligence
Summary
Fundamentally, a builder. Someone who loves to make robots real. We want someone who's as comfortable debugging a CAN bus issue as they are machining a bracket — an individual who thinks in systems, and who gets excited by tight integration between mechanical, electrical, and embedded design. This fall, you'll join the core Hardware Engineering team at Physical Intelligence who is supporting the robots that power PI's data collection and model training operations.
Job description
The Team
The core Hardware Engineering team designs and builds the robotic arms, mobile platforms, and end-effectors that underpin PI's data collection and model training operations. They work across mechanical, electrical, embedded, and software disciplines to iterate quickly on prototypes, bring up new subsystems, and keep the fleet performant in real-world environments.
In This Role You Will
- Subsystem Design & Test: Design, build, and test key subsystems for various robotic arms and mobile platforms — including actuation, sensing, enclosures, and power systems.
- Hands-On Prototyping: Work hands-on with prototypes in our hardware lab, including bring-up, assembly, calibration, and reliability testing of arms, lifts, mobile bases, and end-effectors.
- Cross-Disciplinary Integration: Integrate cross-disciplinary inputs from mechanical, electrical, and software teams to root-cause mission-critical issues and drive high-level system performance.
- Data-Driven Iteration: Analyze data from deployments to inform design iteration and reliability improvements.
- Full-Stack Subsystem Ownership: Own the full stack of a subsystem from CAD to PCB to bench testing.
What We Hope You'll Bring
- Completed 3A Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering. Students below 3A with exceptional projects, GitHubs, portfolios, and work experience will also be considered.
- Strong mechanical and electromechanical design fundamentals (dynamic loading, FEA, DFM).
- Familiarity with embedded and mechatronic systems (CAN, BLDC control, motor controllers).
- Proficiency in CAD (NX, OnShape, SolidWorks) and rapid prototyping tools (3D printing — SLA and FDM — laser cutting).
- Basic electrical design and debug (schematics, soldering, test equipment).
- Data-driven debugging and test planning (Python, MATLAB, or similar).
Bonus Points
- Exposure to manufacturing or assembly environments.
- Prior experience in robotics, autonomous systems, or hardware startups.
The duration of this internship is January-May 2027.
Requirements
- Completed 3A Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering
- Strong mechanical and electromechanical design fundamentals (dynamic loading, FEA, DFM)
- Familiarity with embedded and mechatronic systems (CAN, BLDC control, motor controllers)
- Proficiency in CAD (NX, OnShape, SolidWorks)
- Proficiency in rapid prototyping tools (3D printing — SLA and FDM — laser cutting)
- Basic electrical design and debug (schematics, soldering, test equipment)
- Data-driven debugging and test planning (Python, MATLAB, or similar)
Company overview
Physical Intelligence is a pioneering company at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics, founded in 2024 with headquarters in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in developing general-purpose AI foundation models and learning algorithms designed to power robots and physically-actuated devices across multiple industries. Their core technology focuses on creating universal robotic intelligence through advanced Vision-Language-Action (VLA) systems that enable robots to understand visual inputs, process natural language commands, and execute appropriate physical actions in real-world environments. The company's flagship π-zero (pi-zero) model represents a significant advancement in cross-embodiment learning, allowing their AI systems to generalize across different robotic platforms and applications without requiring complete retraining. With substantial backing from top-tier investors including Jeff Bezos, Thrive Capital, OpenAI, and Sequoia Capital, Physical Intelligence has rapidly emerged as a leader in the physical AI space, achieving a $2.4 billion valuation. The company employs 51-200 professionals including engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders who are working to bring general-purpose AI into the physical world, fundamentally transforming how robots interact with and manipulate their environments.