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 in Automated Driving, Energy & Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human-Interactive Driving, Large Behavior Models, and Robotics.

This is a summer 2026 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be an in-office role.

The Team

Our goal is to revolutionize the field of robotic manipulation, enabling long-horizon dexterous behaviors to be efficiently taught, learned, and improved over time in diverse, real-world environments.

Our team has deep cross-functional expertise across simulation, perception, controls, and machine learning, and we measure our success in terms of fundamental capabilities development, as well as research impact via open-source software and publications. Our north star is fundamental technological advancement in building robots that can flexibly perform a wide variety of tasks in diverse environments with minimal human supervision. Come join us and let’s make general-purpose robots a reality.

We operate a fleet of robots, and robot-embodied teaching and deployment is a key part of our strategy. Some of our ongoing work is highlighted here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-CGSQAO5-Q)

The Internship

We are looking for an intern researcher to join our team in the Cambridge, MA office! In collaboration with the wider Robotics division, you will focus on understanding how general population (non-roboticist) users teach different robot embodiments to perform real-world tasks to their preferences through multimodal modes of communication (e.g., visual, auditory, tactile, etc). You will plan and implement a human-robot interaction study, including the implementation of various teaching modes for users to engage with.

You may incorporate a longitudinal element to the project, exploring how user expectations may adapt over multiple interactions with robot behaviors. Findings from the user study may yield peer-reviewed conference papers or journal articles. Lastly, you will have the opportunity to present your study findings to your colleagues and the larger TRI organization.

We welcome you to join a positive, friendly, and enthusiastic team of researchers, where your research will contribute to helping people gain independence, access, and mobility.

Qualifications

Pursuing an MS or PhD degree in Human-Robot Interaction, Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
2+ years of experience as an academic Human-Robot Interaction researcher
Strong software engineering skills (C++ / Python preferred) and experience analyzing/debugging autonomous robotic systems.
Experience with deploying and/or field-servicing prototype technologies.
Experience conducting user studies involving real robot hardware.
Experience with writing peer-reviewed conference papers or journal articles as lead author.
Desire to contribute back to the robotics community with publications and open source code.
Passion for seeing robotics help humans and have a real-world, large-scale impact.

Bonus Qualifications

Familiarity with original ROS/ROS 2 or similar middleware, and with robotic simulators including Drake, Mujoco, Bullet, etc
Experience with behavior cloning and related imitation learning methods.
Experience with interactive machine learning techniques that adapt robot policies given human feedback/corrections.
Experience with qualitative and quantitative user research, including developing user study materials, IRB applications, facilitation and interviewing, management of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and statistical analysis.
Experience with UX design principles and high-fidelity prototyping.
System integration experience around complex, open-ended, and multi-functional projects.

The pay range for this position at the commencement of employment is expected to be between $40 and $58/hour for Massachusetts-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, business or organizational needs, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) eligibility, paid time off benefits (including vacation, sick time, and parental leave), and an annual cash bonus structure. 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.

TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.

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.

Robotics Intern

Human-Robot Interaction

Toyota Research Institute

Compensation Overview

Qualifications

Bonus Qualifications