Research Intern: Physical Human-Robot Interaction - Honda Research Institute USA

Research Intern: Physical Human-Robot Interaction

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Research Intern: Physical Human-Robot Interaction

Job Number: P26INT-25
Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) is seeking a self-motivated Ph.D. student to join our Intelligence Robotics Research Division as a summer intern. The intern will develop and deploy algorithms that enable safe and comfortable physical human-robot interaction (pHRI), including, but not limited to, motion generation for robotic touch, representation learning for safe interaction, and personalized biomechanical modeling of humans.
San Jose, CA

 

Key Responsibilities

 
  • Develop motion generation algorithms for safe physical robotic interaction with humans.
  • Research and develop representations and personalized human models for pHRI, integrating policy learning, biomechanics, and safety.
  • Deploy and evaluate the developed algorithms in simulation and on robotic hardware.
  • Support experiments for data collection, model training, and algorithm validation.
  • Document research methods and findings in internal reports and perform regular presentations.
  • Contribute to the portfolio of patents and publish research results at top-tier conferences and journals in human-robot interaction.

 

Minimum Qualifications

 
  • Ph.D. student in robotics, mechanical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
  • Hands-on experience developing and implementing pHRI algorithms on robotic manipulators.
  • Strong knowledge of probabilistic modeling, inference methods, and machine learning.
  • Proficiency in Python or C++, along with experience using data analysis and visualization tools.

 

Bonus Qualifications​

  • Experience with physics simulators (e.g., MuJoCo).
  • Experience developing probabilistic models for physical human-robot interaction, such as models of human behavior, biomechanics, safety, or comfort.
  • Experience collecting biomechanical data and developing models using MoCap, IMUs, physiological sensors, or similar tools.

 

Years of Work Experience Required   2
Desired Start Date  May 2027
Internship Duration  3 Months
Position Keywords  

​ physical human-robot interaction, robotic touch, motion generation,

 safety, biomechanics, representation learning, personalized human modeling

Alternate Way to Apply

Send an e-mail to careers@honda-ri.com with the following:
- Subject line including the job number(s) you are applying for 
- Recent CV 
- A cover letter highlighting relevant background (Optional)

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