Robotics State Estimation Engineer

Job description

sensmore is a Berlin/Potsdam-based robotics startup delivering production-proven automation for industries where the world’s raw materials are extracted, moved, and processed. Its automation system transforms heavy machines into intelligent, automated robots powered by Physical AI and vertically integrates them into the full production environment: from the machine and safety infrastructure to network infrastructure, site processes, and operational interfaces. Co-developed with customers, sensmore is backed by Point Nine Capital, leading industry investors, the State of Brandenburg, and the European Union. ROLE OVERVIEW As a State Estimation Engineer, you will design and deploy robust, fail-safe state estimation systems that enable autonomous heavy machinery to reliably estimate velocity, angular velocities, and local position in harsh, unstructured environments. You will work at the intersection of robotics, perception, and control, transforming noisy multi-sensor data (wheel odometry, LiDAR, radar, IMU, GNSS) into accurate real-time estimates of the vehicle’s 3D state. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Design state estimation systems: develop robust pipelines that estimate vehicle motion states (velocity, angular velocity, and position) in real time. - Multi-sensor fusion: fuse data from sensors such as LiDAR, IMUs, GNSS, and wheel odometry using probabilistic estimation frameworks. - Estimator development: implement and maintain filter-based or optimization-based estimators (e.g. EKF, UKF, factor graph methods). - System integration and validation: integrate estimation modules with robotics stacks and validate performance using simulation, logs, and real-world testing. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - Robotics state estimation experience: hands-on experience implementing state estimation algorithms such as Kalman filters, optimization-based estimators, or particle filters. - Multi-sensor robotics systems: experience estimating vehicle motion by fusing data from multiple robotic sensors. - Robotics software development: strong programming skills in C++ and/or Python, ideally within ROS/ROS2 environments. - Strong analytical and debugging skills: ability to diagnose estimation failures and reason about system-level robotics behavior. PREFERRED SKILLS - Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or off-road systems (mining, construction, agriculture). - Knowledge of SLAM, localization, or factor-graph frameworks (e.g. GTSAM, Ceres). - Understanding of vehicle dynamics and control integration. - Experience validating robotics systems through simulation and field testing. WHAT WE OFFER: - Build physical AI for the world's largest off-highway machinery – making them intelligent, safe, and ready for every tough task - Join the pioneer in intelligent robotics backed by Point Nine & other Tier 1 investors - Combine cutting-edge robotics research in end-to-end learning & Vision Language Action Model with real-world heavy mobile equipment - Tailor your own career path, whether you like to become technical specialist or technical team lead - Experience a great team culture, beverages, and an amazing office environment BENEFITS: - Attractive compensation package and stock options. - Beverages on-site and regular social events. - Engage with top-tier researchers, engineers, and thought leaders. - Influence the future of robotic technologies and tackle significant technological challenges. - Assistance with relocation to Berlin. ABOUT US: Heavy machinery, light years ahead. sensmore automates the world's largest machines with unprecedented intelligence. Our proprietary Physical AI enables heavy machines such as wheel loaders to instantly adapt to dynamic environments and execute new tasks without prior training. We integrate cutting-edge robotics into a platform powering intelligence and automation products - transforming productivity and safety for customers in mining, construction, and adjacent industries today. We are proudly backed by Point Nine and other Tier 1 investors.