Robotics & Embedded Systems Intern

Department: Engineering

Location: Long Beach CA

Employment Type: Intern

About Odys

Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.

To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We’re deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in 2026 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.

We’re a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we’ve been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.

About the Role

• We are looking for a motivated intern to assist our robotics team in building and integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms used for autonomous testing and sensor development.

• This role is ideal for students interested in robotics, drones, mechatronics, and embedded systems, who enjoy hands-on work with hardware and system integration.

• The intern will support the development team by assembling UAV platforms, integrating sensors and communication devices, and assisting with system-level bench and flight testing.

Responsibilities

• Assist in assembling and maintaining UAV platforms used for research and development

• Support integration of sensors, cameras, radios, and communication modules

• Perform wiring, soldering, and hardware setup for onboard electronics

• Help verify hardware functionality (power, communication, sensor outputs)

• Assist with bench testing and flight testing preparation

• Support integration of hardware with onboard compute systems

• Help document wiring diagrams, system configurations, and integration procedures

• Assist with scripting or software tasks when required (e.g., device testing, logging)

• Travel to support field flight testing operations (~20% of the time)

Required Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

• Strong interest in robotics systems and UAVs

• Basic knowledge of electronics and electrical systems

• Experience with wiring, connectors, or soldering

• Familiarity with Linux and basic programming (Python or C++)

• Experience with ROS2

• Ability to work hands-on with hardware and troubleshoot issues

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with drones or robotics platforms

• Familiarity with embedded systems or microcontrollers

• Experience with communication protocols (UART, SPI, CAN, I2C)

• Experience with PX4 autopilot

• Experience integrating sensors or cameras

What You'll Gain

• Hands-on experience working with real UAV platforms

• Exposure to sensor integration and autonomous system development

• Opportunity to work alongside engineers developing next-generation autonomous vehicles

• Experience with hardware-software integration in robotics systems