Summer 2025 Intern, Motion Planning

As a Summer 2025 Intern in Motion Planning at Kodiak Robotics, your core responsibilities include developing and refining decision-making and motion planning algorithms for our autonomous trucks. You will tackle projects that involve enhancing strategies for highway navigation, optimizing lane changes, and refining low-speed driving behaviors in various operational contexts. Under the guidance of experienced robotics engineers, you will have the chance to deploy code in real-world environments, solidifying your knowledge and experience in autonomous vehicle technology.

To apply for the Summer 2025 Internship in Motion Planning at Kodiak Robotics, candidates should be pursuing a degree in relevant fields such as Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. The role is designed for juniors, seniors, or graduate students who have a solid understanding of motion planning concepts, and who possess strong programming skills in C++ and Python. Familiarity with kinematics, linear algebra, and optimization will be important in fulfilling the duties of this role.

As a Motion Planning Intern at Kodiak Robotics, you can look forward to engaging in projects aimed at improving the algorithms that drive our autonomous trucks. This may include enhancing the strategies for complex highway merges, optimizing lane-changing behaviors, and refining behavior in low-speed or industrial environments. Each project offers a unique opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to real-world challenges, contributing to the larger mission of advancing autonomous driving technology.

For a Motion Planning Intern at Kodiak Robotics, proficiency in C++ and Python is crucial as these languages form the backbone of our software development. Additionally, having a strong foundation in kinematics, linear algebra, and calculus is essential for solving practical problems related to motion planning and optimization. Familiarity with computational geometry will also be beneficial as you work on developing algorithms that inform autonomous vehicle behavior.

The internship program at Kodiak Robotics is designed to offer a rich, hands-on learning experience with ample mentorship from seasoned professionals in the robotics field. You’ll have the unique opportunity to work directly on a real-world autonomous trucking platform and will have your code deployed on operating trucks. The collaborative environment encourages innovation, and as you engage with ongoing projects, you’ll gain invaluable insights and skills that can pave the way for future career opportunities in autonomous vehicle technology.

In answering this question, highlight any relevant coursework, personal projects, or internships where you've worked on motion planning algorithms. Discuss specific algorithms or projects you engaged with, the challenges faced, and how you overcame them. Connecting your experience to what Kodiak Robotics aims to achieve will demonstrate your interest and suitability for the role.

When asked this, define kinematics and explain its importance in determining motion without considering forces. Briefly touch on aspects such as trajectory generation and vehicle dynamics. Illustrating your understanding of how these concepts influence the behavior of autonomous vehicles will show your solid foundational knowledge in engineering principles relevant to the role.

Choose a specific project to discuss, detailing the optimization challenges you encountered. Explain your approach to solving these problems, what tools you used, and any outcomes. Emphasizing your problem-solving capabilities and the methodologies used will communicate your readiness for the challenges in the Motion Planning internship.

In your response, focus on time management techniques that work for you, such as using tools to track deadlines or breaking projects into manageable tasks. Mention how you effectively communicate with teammates and stakeholders to establish priority tasks. This shows your ability to work collaboratively in a team environment like that at Kodiak Robotics.

Answer this by outlining the role of decision-making in autonomous vehicles, including how systems weigh different options based on sensor data and pre-defined rules. Discuss any coursework or projects relevant to decision-making algorithms that demonstrate your understanding and readiness to contribute to Kodiak Robotics.

Discuss your openness to constructive criticism and describe a specific instance when you received feedback and implemented it. Highlight how you believe feedback is a vital part of the learning process and how it can lead to improved work quality, which resonates with the culture at Kodiak Robotics.

Reflect on your career aspirations and connect them to the autonomous vehicle industry and your interest in robotics. Explain how the Motion Planning internship at Kodiak Robotics would provide the necessary experience and skills to advance toward your goals, illustrating your commitment to the field.

Discuss your experience working with modern C++, mentioning any specific libraries or frameworks you've used. Describe projects where you applied your knowledge of C++, outlining challenges faced and solutions implemented. This will illustrate your technical skills and readiness for the internship tasks.

Your response should cover broad challenges such as safety, regulation, and public perception and then narrow down to specific technical challenges like motion planning and decision-making. Relating these challenges to Kodiak Robotics' mission showcases your understanding of the industry landscape.

In your answer, describe experiences working on collaborative projects, emphasizing your role and contributions. Focus on communication, adaptability, and supporting teammates, as this aligns with the collaborative culture at Kodiak Robotics. Showcase how your teamwork influences successful project outcomes.