Robotics and Controls Intern
Capstan Medical
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Posted on May 27, 2026
What You'll Do:
- Design and execute benchtop characterization studies of catheter driving performance: tip
position accuracy, tracking error, hysteresis, friction, and other performance metrics - Build Python automation scripts and small test harnesses for repeatable, hands-off data
collection across the robotic system - Tune control loops and parameters on real hardware and quantify the improvement with
clean before-and-after data - Develop reusable analysis tooling: data ingestion, plotting utilities, and reporting
templates the team can keep using after you leave - Support design verification testing by writing protocols, executing runs, and documenting
results in line with medical device standards - Contribute to the team's data infrastructure: log parsing, bagfile processing, metric
extraction, automation scripts, dashboards - Document your work on Confluence and present findings in team design reviews
Skills & Qualifications:
- Master's Degree or Higher in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical
Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field - Solid Python fundamentals (NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, pandas) and the ability to write
clean scripts that other people will read and run - Working knowledge of feedback control: you've taken a controls course and can talk
through PID, frequency response, and stability concepts - Experience characterizing or testing real hardware in a lab setting, even at the coursework
or research scale - Ability to design an experiment, run it carefully, and write up what you found
- Comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift and you're
expected to ask good questions
Nice to Have:
- Coursework or research in robot kinematics, dynamics, or continuum/flexible robotics
- C++ exposure, particularly for reading existing code and writing simple changes
- Experience with ROS1/ROS2, bagfiles, or similar middleware
- MATLAB or Simulink for control design and system identification
- Familiarity with Git, code review workflows, and unit testing
- Prior internship or research experience at a robotics, medtech, or hardware-heavy
company