Job Description

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Robotics, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, and Energy & Materials.

Our work is guided by a dedication to safety – in how we research, develop, and validate the performance of technology to benefit society. As a subsidiary of Toyota, TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people who carry invaluable leadership, experience, and ideas from industry-leading companies.

We strive to build a company that helps our people thrive, achieve work-life balance, and bring their best selves to work. At TRI, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds ‒ a fun start-up environment with brilliant people who enjoy solving global problems and the financial backing to successfully achieve our goals.

This is a Summer 2024 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be a hybrid in-office role.

The Team

In the Human-Machine Interaction Research group (HMIR), we design, develop and evaluate novel interfaces to improve the safety, well-being, and performance of drivers using human-centered artificial intelligence. We use the design thinking process to place the human at the center of determining the needs, design, and implementation of human-machine interfaces. By following this process, the HMIR team creates automotive HMI technologies that allow humans of any ability to work in harmony with AI.

The Internship

As a Research Intern, you will work on a project focused on improving driving safety and performance through the development of innovative human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for a research vehicle. You will have the opportunity to design, implement, and test HMI prototypes using a driving motion simulator, research vehicles, or bench top prototypes. Further, you will have the opportunity to develop HMIs in augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) in addition to interactions involving large language models (LLMs).

The ideal candidate should have experience in implementing and testing HMIs and should be pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field. Experience with ROS2 is a plus. You will work with a strong team of researchers, and the expected outcome is to have a publication at a human-computer interaction journal/conference. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in developing HMIs for a research vehicle, working closely with the research team to design, implement, and test innovative solutions to improve driving safety and performance.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the design, implementation, and testing of HMIs for our research vehicle or other platforms
• Conduct user studies to evaluate HMIs
• Collaborate with the engineering team to implement and test HMIs on research vehicles
• Contribute to the development of new technologies and features that enhance the experience of driver training
• Document and present findings and results, both internally and at top international venues
  
  

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Robotics, Human Factors Engineering, or related fields
• Experience designing and running experiments with human subjects
• Available for monthly travel (3-4 days) for testing HMIs at a race track
• Able to work from the Los Altos, California office for the duration of the internship
• Experience with machine learning is a plus
• Knowledge of research vehicles or wheeled robots is a plus
• Experience with AR/VR, LLMs, or data visualization is a plus
  
  

Please add a link to Google Scholar and include a full list of publications when submitting your CV to this position.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $45 and $65/hour for California-based roles; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Note that TRI offers a generous benefits package including vacation and sick time. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

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TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.