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Physical Intelligence is developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power robots and physically-actuated devices. This Prototype Engineer role sits within the hardware team and bridges research, deployments, and operations through hands-on prototyping work.
You will rapidly design and fabricate mechanical, electrical, and sensor prototypes to support research experiments and engineering development. Working directly with researchers, you'll translate experimental requirements into buildable hardware systems, managing the full lifecycle from concept sketches through CAD, fabrication, wiring, sensor integration, and validation.
Key responsibilities include designing and iterating on fixtures, jigs, test rigs, and custom tooling to enable research workflows. You'll evaluate and select sensors, actuators, and off-the-shelf components for integration, develop quick-turn PCBs, wiring harnesses, and cable assemblies, and perform hands-on assembly, troubleshooting, and debugging of electromechanical and robotic systems.
Collaboration is central: you'll work closely with electrical and robot software engineers to integrate hardware with control systems, firmware, and runtime software. You'll identify and address failure modes specific to hardware operating in unstructured, real-world environments—contact forces, wear, thermal effects, cable management—and document designs, test results, and build procedures to support knowledge transfer and iteration.
This is a hands-on role ideal for someone who enjoys moving quickly from concept to physical reality and thrives in a research-driven environment.
