Computer Engineer — Embedded Systems, Motor Control & Hardware Interface

Auto Stringer is looking for a Computer Engineer focused on embedded systems, motor control, and hardware integration. The robot uses stepper motors, servos, serial communication, and a custom control interface to move the gantry, lift mechanisms, claws, and other actuators.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working close to the hardware: wiring, microcontrollers, motor drivers, communication protocols, safety limits, and real-time motion behavior. You will help make the robot’s movements smoother, safer, and more reliable.

• Improve Arduino or microcontroller code for controlling stepper motors and servos.
• Build reliable serial communication between the computer GUI and the robot.
• Create cleaner command structures for movement, homing, calibration, and emergency stops.
• Help integrate multiple motors into coordinated motion sequences.
• Work on motor tuning, speed limits, acceleration, and repeatability.
• Add safety checks for travel limits, invalid commands, and mechanical collisions.
• Help connect the vision/path-planning software to the physical motor system.
• Improve the current control GUI and debugging tools.
• Document wiring diagrams, command formats, and control logic.

• UW student interested in computer engineering, embedded systems, robotics, or mechatronics.
• Experience with Arduino, C/C++, Python, or microcontrollers.
• Basic understanding of stepper motors, servos, motor drivers, sensors, and serial communication.
• Comfortable debugging both software and hardware problems.
• Careful with wiring, testing, and safety.
• Able to write clean code for systems that interact with real physical motion.
• Excited by the challenge of making a robot move accurately and repeatedly.

• Experience with Accel Stepper, Multi Stepper, or other motor control libraries.
• Experience with ESP
  32, Raspberry Pi, Jetson, STM
  32, or other embedded platforms.
• Familiarity with limit switches, encoders, homing routines, or closed-loop control.
• Experience with PyQt, GUI tools, or hardware dashboards.
• Experience with ROS/ROS2 or robotics middleware.

The robot’s intelligence only matters if the hardware can execute commands correctly. This role connects the software brain to the physical machine. You will help make Auto Stringer move like a real robotic system instead of a collection of separate motors.