At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We’ve raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.
You will own the development of Rhoda’s low-level firmware stack for distributed real-time control across humanoid platforms. This role centers on deterministic communication, control-loop synchronization, and embedded software robustness in an EtherCAT environment spanning dozens of joints, sensors, and distributed controllers. You will design, implement, and validate firmware components that guarantee sub-millisecond coordination between motor drivers, safety controllers, and perception nodes — bridging the mechanical, electrical, and control domains.
This role is a Senior MTS reporting directly to the VP of Hardware Engineering, with a clear path to grow into a managerial role as the firmware and controls team scales.
What You’ll Do
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Select and tune RTOS; define priorities and scheduling; optimize interrupt and DMA paths; harden watchdogs and recovery; measure and guard timing budgets
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Design, implement, and maintain low-level firmware for real-time motion control nodes over EtherCAT
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Develop synchronization and communication layers ensuring deterministic cycle times (<1ms)
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Configure and optimize EtherCAT masters and slaves (distributed clocks, mailbox protocols, PDO mapping)
Collaborate with Electronics, Controls, and Systems teams to define timing budgets and data interfaces
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Contribute to the architecture of the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and firmware APIs for actuator control
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Develop unit, HIL, and integration tests for firmware validation
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Profile and optimize ISR and DMA paths to minimize latency and jitter
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Support bring-up and debugging of custom actuator controllers and sensor boards
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Document firmware architecture, test results, and safety compliance evidence for design reviews
What We’re Looking For
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Bachelor’s or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Robotics
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8+ years of experience in embedded firmware development for real-time control systems
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Strong expertise with EtherCAT protocol stack implementation and configuration (SOEM, Acontis, or similar)
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Deep understanding of MCU architectures (ARM Cortex-M, RISC-V, or DSPs) and RTOS environments (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or equivalent)
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Proficiency in C/C++ and experience with low-level debugging (JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes)
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Knowledge of motor control loops (current/velocity/position), FOC, and synchronization with external clocks
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Familiarity with SPI, I²C, UART, PWM, ADC, and sensor interface design
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Demonstrated ability to write reliable, well-structured, and maintainable embedded code in safety-critical environments
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Evidence of shipping real-time-critical products
Nice to Have (But Not Required)
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Experience developing firmware for humanoid or collaborative robots with distributed actuation
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Familiarity with Safety-over-EtherCAT (FSoE) and functional safety standards (IEC 61508, ISO 13849)
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Experience with FPGA-based EtherCAT co-processors and network timing synchronization (PTP, TSN)
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Knowledge of hardware design constraints (signal integrity, EMC, power distribution)
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Safety-related firmware and fieldbus timing experience; DDS experience; formal methods or static analysis exposure
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Contributions to open-source EtherCAT or real-time frameworks
Why This Role
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Own the firmware layer that makes whole-body humanoid control possible — your work sets the timing and reliability floor that everything else in the robot stack depends on
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One of the deepest and most technically demanding embedded roles in physical AI, operating at the intersection of real-time systems, distributed control, and cutting-edge robotics hardware
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Clear path from individual contributor to engineering leadership as Rhoda scales its firmware and controls organization