Sr. Software Engineer - Wheeled Controls

Sr. Software Engineer - Wheeled Controls

Austin, TX

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. 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. We operate at the cutting edge of embodied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems.

You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

The Senior Software Engineer – Wheeled Controls is responsible for developing and deploying the high-performance motion control systems that power our robotic mobility. 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 will lead the development of estimation and control algorithms that unify wheel mobility and manipulation into a cohesive whole-body framework. As a senior member of the team, you are an expert at taking robotic platforms through the full lifecycle—from initial algorithm design to commercial-grade deployment. 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.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Algorithm Development:
  Design, implement, and tune whole-body controllers that coordinate wheeled base motion with upper-body manipulation. This includes state-estimation (EKF, UKF), base controllers (MPC, PID), and arm/torso trajectory tracking with dynamic coupling compensation.
• Hardware-to-Software Interfacing:
  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.
• Productization & Safety:
  Drive the transition of wheeled platforms to market-ready status. 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)
• Planning Integration:
  Work closely with perception and autonomy teams to integrate mobile manipulation planners—coordinating base repositioning with grasp/task planning for seamless loco-manipulation behaviors.
• State Estimation & Localization:
  Refine sensor fusion techniques (IMU, Wheel Encoders, LiDAR) to provide highly accurate and resilient odometry in diverse, real-world environments.
• Testing & Validation:
  Lead field testing and rigorous validation of motion control performance across various floor types, inclines, and payload configurations. Code Excellence:
  Maintain high standards for the codebase by writing production-grade, real-time C++. Lead peer reviews and maintain comprehensive documentation for the controls architecture.

Skills and Requirements

Technical Skills (Must-Have)

• Controls Expertise:
  Deep understanding of classical and modern control theory applied to whole-body loco-manipulation systems, including coupled mobile base and multi-DOF manipulator dynamics.
• 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.
• Shipment History: A proven track record of taking complex wheeled-base platforms to market or deploying robotic fleets in commercial/industrial settings.

Strong Nice to Haves

• Navigation Guru:
  Deep familiarity with the stack, including custom plugin development (Controller, Planner, or Recovery behaviors).
• Safety Standards:
  Experience navigating safety certification processes and implementing safety-critical software architectures.
• System Identification:
  Expertise in modeling and identifying the dynamics of complex electromechanical drive systems.
• Simulation:
  Experience using Mu Jo Co  or Isaac Sim to validate control stability before deploying to physical hardware.

Education and/or Experience

• Education:
  
  MS or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience:
  
  5+ years of relevant industry experience (or 3+ years with a PhD) specifically focused on mobile robotics and wheeled motion control.
• Proven Impact:
  Direct experience taking a wheeled-base platform through the full product lifecycle, from initial control design to factory exit and customer deployment.

Physical…