Senior / Staff Robotics and Controls Engineer

Design, implement, and verify robotic control algorithms for Capstan's catheter-based surgical platform — kinematics, dynamics, teleoperation, and motion control.

Develop forward and inverse kinematic models for continuum and tendon- driven mechanisms, and validate them against real-world data.

Build trajectory engines, drive modes, and constraint-aware motion algorithms that translate surgeon intent into safe, precise catheter motion.

Design and execute characterization studies on actuators, tendon transmissions, and full system performance; translate experimental results into models, parameters, and acceptance criteria.

Define algorithm-level performance specifications and hazard-driven fault detection thresholds; partner with Systems and Quality to support design verification and regulatory submissions

Translate clinical and user needs into design requirements, prototype rapidly on real hardware, and carry features through verification to product launch

Drive technical direction for path planning, catheter control, or robotics algorithms across multiple hardware programs (increased level of architectural ownership and cross-program scope for Staff)

Mentor engineers on the team, lead design reviews, and contribute to hiring and onboarding (increased level of mentorship for Staff)

Document your work through design reviews and released DHF documentation, and identify gaps and pitch in as needed to keep the team moving

Strong foundation in robot kinematics and dynamics - forward/inverse kinematics, Jacobians, rigid-body dynamics, and ideally continuum, concentric tube, or tendon-driven systems

Fluent with classical and modern control -- PID, feedforward, model-based, optimal/MPC, impedance/admittance -- and the judgment to know when each is appropriate

Hands-on experience implementing control algorithms in modern C++ (14/17/20) for real-time, safety-critical systems, with Python for rapid prototyping, data analysis, and tooling

Motion planning and trajectory generation experience — constrained nonlinear optimization, collision-aware planning, or task-space control paradigms

State estimation and sensor fusion experience — Kalman/EKF/UKF, particle filters, or nonlinear observers, with a working understanding of noise models and sensor calibration

Comfortable characterizing real electromechanical systems on the bench; you can design the experiment, run it, analyze the data, and turn it into a model.

Close-to-hardware sensibility: encoders, motor controllers, force sensors, brakes, IMUs -- you understand the gap between textbook systems and real ones

Strong object-oriented design instincts, with the discipline to factor algorithm code so it can be unit-tested, reviewed, and maintained as the team scales

Medical robotics or safety-critical systems background -- you know why "it works in sim" or "it works most of the time" isn't good enough

Understanding of how early design decisions cascade into downstream cost; ability to make smart calls on clinical workflow, regulation, and risk management to save time and effort later

Flexible robotics experience -- concentric tube robots, tendon-driven, soft, or other compliant manipulators

Surgical robotics or another regulated, safety-critical robotics background

Sensing, electromagnetic tracking, or other catheter-tip localization experience

Experience integrating fluoroscopy, ultrasound, or CT imaging into robotic guidance, registration, or visual servoing

ROS1 or ROS2 experience in production systems, with an understanding of its real-time tradeoffs

Working knowledge of regulatory standards (FDA, IEC 62304, ISO 14971, IEC 60601) and how they shape algorithm and architecture decisions

Experience with simulation environments (Drake, MuJoCo, Isaac Sim, or custom) for development, regression, and verification

Familiarity with QNX or real-time Linux: you don't have to own the stack, but you should understand the constraints it places on your algorithms

Track record of technical leadership and mentorship at a comparable medical robotics or capital equipment company