Principal Vision Systems Engineer

Brooks is a leading provider of automation solutions with over 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, offering precision robotics, integrated automation systems, and contamination control solutions that empower chip manufacturers worldwide. Our product portfolio includes a range of automation solutions, including robots, vacuum systems, and atmospheric robots for semiconductor manufacturing ().

Are you looking for a place where you can be part of a transformation? Join us at Brooks Automation and be a part of a dynamic organization that is shaping the future of technology.

We are seeking a Principal Vision Systems Engineer to lead the development of a next-generation ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency vision-based position feedback system for precision control of magnetically levitated rigid bodies.

This role will serve as the technical owner of the vision system, overseeing the co-development of a custom smart camera and FPGA-based image processing platform and delivering real-time 6

DOF pose estimation with deterministic latency performance (2 kHz).

The successful candidate will work across computer vision, embedded systems, FPGA architecture, and control system integration to enable closed-loop control performance beyond current commercial solutions.

System Architecture & Technical Leadership

• Own the end-to-end vision system architecture:
  • Image acquisition
  • FPGA-based processing
  • Target extraction
  • 6
    
    DOF pose estimation
  • Controller interface and synchronization
• Define HW/SW/FPGA partitioning aligned with performance goals
• Lead design trade-offs (resolution vs speed vs latency vs field of view)

Algorithm Development (Real-Time / FPGA-Oriented)

• Develop algorithms for:
  • Sub-pixel target extraction
  • Multi-body tracking
  • Real-time 6
    
    DOF pose estimation
• Translate prototype algorithms (MATLAB/Python) into FPGA-compatible implementations
• Optimize for deterministic latency and minimal jitter

FPGA Co-Development Oversight

• Collaborate with external partner on:
  • Smart camera development
  • FPGA processing pipelines
• Guide FPGA implementation strategy and architecture
• Participate in design reviews and risk mitigation

Controller Integration & Closed-Loop Performance

• Define low-latency interfaces between vision system and controller
• Ensure deterministic timing and synchronization
• Validate performance in closed-loop control applications

Performance Validation & Testing

• Define validation plans for:
  • Latency and jitter
  • Spatial accuracy
  • Multi-target tracking robustness
• Benchmark against existing systems

Sensor & Optical System Specification

• Lead evaluation of:
  • High-speed CMOS sensors
  • Precision optical systems
• Support system-level trade studies

Program Leadership

• Serve as technical interface to external development partner
• Drive architecture definition and technical milestones
• Lead cross-functional collaboration (controls, hardware, software)

• MS or PhD in Computer Vision, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in:
  • Vision systems
  • Real-time or embedded systems
• Proven experience delivering low-latency vision or sensor-based systems

• 3D pose estimation (PnP, multi-camera systems)
• Sub-pixel feature extraction and tracking
• Camera calibration (intrinsic/extrinsic)
• Real-time system design and latency optimization
• Programming: C/C++, Python, MATLAB

• Understanding of FPGA-based image processing pipelines
• Fixed-point arithmetic and hardware constraints
• Experience collaborating with FPGA teams

• Experience in:
  • Semiconductor or precision automation systems
  • Metrology-grade measurement systems
  • Closed-loop motion control
• Familiarity with:
  • Industrial vision standards (GigE Vision, GenICam)
  • Deterministic communication interfaces (SPI, BiSS, FPGA-based links)

• Deliver system architecture supporting:
  • >2 kHz update rate