Robot Platform Engineer (Mensch)

Job summary

This role involves shaping the future of human-robot collaboration within the Software Department, developing robotics solutions that redefine human-machine interaction. The position focuses on implementing robot abstraction layers, middleware wiring, and operational state machines in an agile, interdisciplinary team using Scrum processes.

Qualifications

• Strong C++ skills, including modern features (C++17 or newer), real-time safe patterns, and clean memory handling.
• Experience in state machine design for complex robotics systems, including clear state separation, transition guards, and fault handling.
• Experience with hierarchical state machines (e.g., Boost.SML, sc::statechart, BehaviorTree.CPP).
• Proficiency in gRPC and Protobuf, including implementing API servers, streaming RPCs, and backward-compatible proto development.
• Practical experience with robot abstraction layers through ros2_control Hardware-Interfaces (Jazzy or Humble), MoveIt2 hardware connection, OROCOS RTT for hard-RT pipelines, Apex.OS on a real platform, vendor SDKs (e.g., Franka, UR, KUKA, ABB), or internal abstraction layers from previous projects.
• Experience in bringing a real robot platform to full operation end-to-end, not just simulation.
• Good understanding of hardware integration, including timing assumptions, sensor calibration, and fault scenarios.

Responsibilities

• Work on the Robot-Abstraction-Layer code and implement the abstraction layer that maps hardware capabilities (joints, limbs, end-effectors, sensors) to the common platform API.
• Work with ROS 2 Launch Graph + ros2_control YAML + DDS QoS on platforms with standard middleware; with OROCOS RTT Pipelines on platforms with hard-RT-control-loops; or with Apex.OS on SIL/PLd-certified setups.
• Implement the Operational State Machine (BOOT HOMING OPERATIONAL FAULT E-STOP RECOVERY) for the platform, including transition guards, entry/exit actions, and timeout handling.
• Manage mode switching, including selecting active controllers, securing mode changes, safe mode entry/exit, and a gravity-compensation-only mode.
• Handle power-on/off sequences, including boot order, activating/deactivating drives, orchestrating the homing process, and controlled shutdown.
• Implement watchdog and fault management, including classifying errors (recoverable vs. safety-critical), selecting recovery measures, and escalating to E-Stop.
• Perform robot-level health monitoring, aggregating diagnostics, joint states, temperatures, proximity to limits, and communication latencies.
• Implement gRPC server for mode commands, state queries, fault acknowledgment, and streaming of joint states, operating states, and diagnostics.
• Co-own Proto Message (Robot-Control-API Protobuf) with the Platform Architect and Robot Client SDK Engineer.
• Develop and maintain the Platform Integration Test Suite for end-to-end CI test coverage in simulation (MuJoCo / Isaac Sim) and on real hardware.

Skills

Certifications

Work schedule

Relocation