Engineer– Embodied AI Lab Automation: Vision-Guided Real Time Robotic Manipulation

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) is seeking an engineer to develop an automated protein crystal harvesting system at the Center for BioMolecular Structure (CBMS).This position is a 2-year term, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availabilityThe successful candidate will develop vision-guided robotic manipulation capabilities for detecting, tracking, and harvesting fragile micron-scale protein crystals suspended in liquid droplets. Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of crystallographers, beamline scientists, controls engineers, mechanical engineers, and data scientists, the candidate will help integrate computer vision, machine learning, and robotic manipulation into an automated crystal harvesting platform.This is a hands-on role centered on building and deploying closed-loop perception, visual servoing, and robotic control systems in a real laboratory environment. The position offers the opportunity to advance machine vision, robotic manipulation, and embodied AI techniques while addressing a scientifically impactful problem in structural biology.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:Develop and implement vision-guided real-time robotic manipulation methods for crystal harvestingDesign and deploy closed-loop perception and control pipelines using visual feedbackContribute to vision-based servoing approaches for precise, real-time positioningIntegrate perception outputs with motion planning and execution using ROS2 and MoveIt2Perform system calibration (e.g., hand-eye calibration, camera calibration) to ensure accurate 3D spatial alignmentEvaluate and improve system robustness, including perception uncertainty and failure modesCollaborate closely with domain experts across crystallography, controls, and engineeringParticipate in system testing, tuning, and performance evaluationDocument methods and results; contribute to reports, publications, and presentationsRequired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:B.S. in Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related fieldDemonstrated experience developing and implementing robotics systems.Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++Knowledge of robotic systems:Robot kinematics and coordinate transformationsMotion planning and trajectory generation.Calibration methodsPreferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:M.S. in Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related fieldExperience developing robotic systems that integrate vision-guided control in real-world settingsExperience working with ROS2-based ecosystemsExperience with camera calibration, hand-eye calibration, and coordinate frame registrationExperience integrating machine learning models into roboticsFamiliarity with:Micro-ManipulationSensor fusion or state estimationReal-time system debugging and performance tuningWh...