Robot Optics Intern

Team Description: 

Robotics and Surgery Engineering Team tackles challenges across surgical robotics, such as creating next-gen hardware to drive total brain surgery time down from hours to seconds; designing laser-micromachining for micron-precision geometries for surgical end effectors; and developing ways to reach deeper brain targets while balancing the competing goals of endpoint accuracy and minimally invasive insertion.

Job Description and Responsibilities: 

As a Robot Optics Intern at Neuralink, you will build, characterize, and calibrate optical and optomechanical systems used directly in our surgical robots and associated consumables manufacturing systems.  These systems are responsible for everything from sub-micron conventional imaging to laser scanning imaging to non-imaging optical power delivery. 

The detailed responsibilities are as follows:

• Design and simulation of optical imaging systems
• Test, verification, and maintenance of vision systems in robots
• Repair and troubleshoot existing optical subassemblies
• Test and verification of optics consumables
• Develop image acquisition and processing software
• Preliminary tests of new imaging technologies for robotic surgeries
• Work with engineering to evaluate and implement process improvements
• Prepare relevant documentation and SOP for the robot optics

Key Qualifications: 

• Familiar with basic optics fundamentals such as aberrations, transmission/reflection, light polarization, gaussian beams, etc.
• Experience with visible and IR optical equipment (including fiber splicers, light sources, beam profilers, power meters, resolution targets, etc.)
• 1+ years of optical engineering experience, including simulation and design of optics in Zemax or equivalent software.
• 1+ years of relevant industrial experience with assembly, precision alignment, and integration of complex optomechanical systems
• 1+ years experience with benchtop testing, performance characterization, and metrology benchmarking of optical systems
• Experience documenting and following procedures of optical design pipeline (assembly, characterization, verification, etc) with a high level of detail

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Strong understanding of engineering first principles
• Education in an engineering-related field
• Experience with data analysis and image processing
• Experience with optics alignment and optics bench test
• Experience with fiber optics fabrication
• Mechanical engineering and CAD skills
• Experience simulating and designing optics in Zemax or equivalent software

Physical Requirements: Ability to travel to/from and work in Fremont.

Computer Skills:  Basic computer skills. Proficient in Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail. Software engineering experience in developing scripts for instrument testing. Experience with optical simulation software (Zemax, CodeV, OSLO, LightTools, etc.) a plus.

Work Environment:  Laboratory, vivarium, office.

Expected Compensation:

The anticipated hourly rate for this position is listed below.

California Hourly Flat Rate:
$35/Hr USD