Robotics Software Engineer Intern

Robotics & Software Engineering Intern

What are we trying to solve?

Openshelf is building an open-source system to automate physical inventory, combining hardware and software to handle storage, retrieval, and real-time tracking.

• The problem: Managing physical inventory is messy. Manual processes are slow, error-prone, and don’t scale. It’s hard to know what you have, where it is, or how much space it’s taking up.
• What we’re doing: We build compact automated storage and retrieval systems that capture weight, dimensions, and location data every time something moves. We’re now adding robotic automation on top: cherry-picking, tube decapping, and liquid handling, so labs can store, open, sample, and return samples without manual handling. Everything is open so others can adapt, improve, and deploy it, not just warehouses with big budgets.

Our stack runs Python on the backend (FastAPI, hardware orchestration, event-driven robot control) and a SvelteKit frontend, all containerized with Docker and deployed on Raspberry Pi–based hardware. Mechanical design happens in Onshape.

What you’ll be doing

• Writing and debugging Python that controls real hardware: motors, motion axes, grippers, scales, barcode scanners, and sensors, over serial, Modbus, and GPIO.
• Helping bring up and test new robotic modules, from first motion to reliable operation.
• Supporting mechanical prototyping and testing: CAD changes in Onshape, 3D-printed fixtures, and tracking parts on the BOM.
• Building internal tools and dashboards to monitor, configure, and debug devices in our lab and in the field.
• Using AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, or similar) daily to move faster. We do, and we expect you to.
• Joining code review, design discussions (API structure, data modeling, error handling, state management), and deployments to real devices.
• Owning small projects end to end under the guidance of senior engineers, whether that’s a new sensor integration, a reliability fix, or a test rig.

Who you are

• You’re excited about software that moves things in the physical world.
• You’re resourceful and high-agency. When you hit something you don’t know, you dig in and figure it out.
• You’re comfortable with ambiguity and problems where the requirements aren’t settled yet.
• You communicate clearly, ask questions when you’re stuck, and treat feedback as a way to get better.
• You want to work in person on a small team where your work ships into the product.

Requirements

• Solid Python: readable, well-structured code, with an understanding of async, I/O, error handling, and testing.
• Good engineering habits: git, debugging, reading documentation, breaking down vague tasks.
• Willingness to get hands-on with hardware: motors that don’t move, sensors that return garbage, serial ports that disappear.
• Interest in or experience with AI-assisted development.
• Able to work on-site in Midtown Manhattan full-time.

Nice to have

• Robotics, motion control, or embedded experience (FIRST/FRC, club teams, personal projects all count).
• CAD experience (Onshape preferred) or prototyping with 3D printers, laser cutters, or machine shop tools.
• FastAPI, Docker, Linux, or Raspberry Pi experience.
• Exposure to lab automation or industrial automation.

Practical details

• Schedule: Full-time, hourly, in person at our Midtown Manhattan office.
• Start date: ASAP
• Compensation: $22/hour
• You’ll work directly with senior engineers who review your code and help you grow.