---
title: 'Autonomy Software Engineer - Mapping and Localization at Noble Machines, Inc'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/autonomy-software-engineer-mapping-and-localization-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-taw9eeznd53y'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Autonomy Software Engineer - Mapping and Localization at Noble Machines, Inc

- **Company:** Noble Machines, Inc
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-02-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/undercontrolroboticsinc/jobs/4158370009

## Job description

## About Noble Machines

Noble Machines (formerly Under Control Robotics) builds multipurpose robots to support human workers in the world's toughest jobs—turning dangerous work from a necessity into a choice. Our work demands reliability, robustness, and readiness for the unexpected—on time, every time. We're assembling a mission-driven team focused on delivering real impact in heavy industry, from construction and mining to energy. If you're driven to build rugged, reliable products that solve real-world problems, we'd love to talk.

Position Overview

At Noble Machines, building robots is a team sport. As a Robotics Autonomy Engineer, you'll take ownership and lead the development of autonomy systems that power our multipurpose robots across diverse and unstructured environments. You'll design, implement, and optimize cutting-edge localization, mapping, navigation, and SLAM systems—including advanced techniques such as 3D Gaussian Splatting, NeRFs, and other neural or volumetric methods—that enable our robots to perceive, understand, and act in the real world with confidence.

## Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain real-time mapping, localization, and navigation software for mobility robotic systems
- Build scalable SLAM pipelines using a mix of sensors, including LiDAR, vision, and IMU
- Implement 3D scene representations using cutting-edge techniques such as 3D Gaussian Splatting, NeRFs, and other neural or volumetric methods
- Integrate localization and mapping modules with motion planning and control systems
- Deploy robust autonomy stacks to on-board compute platforms and validate them in both simulation and real-world testing
- Analyze and tune performance of perception and SLAM systems in challenging environments
- Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to develop co-designed autonomy solutions
- Write clean, modular, production-quality code with thorough documentation and testing
- Operate and support robots during field testing and customer deployment

## Requirements

- 4+ years of experience working in robotics, autonomy, or a closely related field
- Strong foundation in SLAM, probabilistic localization, 3D reconstruction, and navigation algorithms
- Deep experience with C++ and Python, especially in real-time robotics or embedded systems
- Experience building and deploying autonomy stacks using frameworks such as ROS or ROS2
- Proven ability to develop algorithms for sensor fusion and state estimation (e.g., EKF, UKF, particle filters)
- Hands-on experience with real robot systems—ground, legged, or aerial platforms
- Familiarity with 3D mapping techniques including voxel grids, mesh reconstruction, and Gaussian Splatting
- Demonstrated rapid growth and technical ownership on complex autonomy projects
- Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills across disciplines

## Nice to Have

- Experience with GPU-accelerated vision or perception pipelines (CUDA, TensorRT)
- Exposure to deep learning-based SLAM, view synthesis, or scene understanding techniques
- Experience with multirobot SLAM, loop closure, or graph optimization frameworks
- Contributions to open-source robotics or perception libraries
- Comfort debugging hardware/software integration in field settings
- Experience with autonomy in unstructured or GPS-denied environments
- Strong understanding of simulation frameworks (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim, Unity Robotics)

To apply, submit your resume here or email people@noblemachines.ai . To increase your chances of being selected for an interview, we encourage you to include a public portfolio of your most representative work featuring your individual contributions and public demonstrations of autonomy or SLAM systems.

## About Noble Machines, Inc

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Noble Machines builds general-purpose humanoid robots designed to perform hazardous and physically demanding industrial tasks, enabling safer and more efficient operations.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Capital-backed; Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Sunnyvale, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Wei Ding (CEO), Wen-Loong Ma (CTO), and a team of engineers from Apple, SpaceX, NASA, and Caltech

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Industrial Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Humanoid Robotics, Hardware
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise – manufacturing, construction, logistics, mining, energy, and semiconductor companies
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “General purpose robots that take on hazardous and physically-demanding industrial tasks — enabling a safer, more efficient, and more productive world.”

## Products & Services
- **Noble Machines General-Purpose Humanoid Robot**: A full-stack hardware-AI system featuring:
  - AI-driven whole-body control and end-to-end autonomy
  - 50 lb (23 kg) payload capacity
  - 5-hour battery life
  - Walking speed 0.8 m/s
  - Modular end-effectors for diverse tasks (material handling, inspection, sorting)
  - Tele-operable and autonomous modes
  - Learns new skills through language, demonstration, and feedback in hours, not months
  - Designed to navigate stairs, scaffolding, unstable terrain, and cluttered spaces

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding – Seed round (6 investors, details undisclosed)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: 6 investors (names not publicly available); first deployment to a Fortune Global 500 customer
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Emerged from stealth and deployed first robot to a Fortune Global 500 customer in March 2026, within 18 months of company launch
  - 32 employees as of 2026
  - Rapid iteration across three generations of robots (first gen demo September 2024, shipping in 18 months)
  - Career page lists multiple engineering roles (Robotics Learning Engineer, Autonomy Software Engineer, Mechatronics Engineer, ML Ops, etc.)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Hardware-AI co-design** that enables fast skill acquisition (hours vs. months)
- **Heavy payload** (50 lb) combined with agile mobility for real industrial environments
- **Mixed autonomy**: operates autonomously but allows teleoperation for expert intervention
- **Proven real-world deployment** with a Fortune Global 500 customer, not just pilot demonstrations
- **Cost-effective hardware** designed for mass manufacturing

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Expanding deployments across manufacturing, construction, logistics, energy, and mining; scaling the platform after successful pilot; deepening AI learning capabilities; growing the engineering and field operations team.
- **Direction**: “AI must prove itself in real industrial operations before it scales” – the company validates performance in operational environments before expanding.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture highlights**: Mission-driven engineering culture focused on solving dangerous, real-world problems. Team composed of engineers from Apple, SpaceX, NASA, and Caltech.
- **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Not specified explicitly; likely on-site in Sunnyvale given hardware work.
- **Notable perks or engineering culture**: Early-stage company building America’s first industrial humanoid robot; opportunity to work on full-stack robotics (hardware, autonomy, AI) with rapid iteration cycles; multiple roles currently open on Greenhouse (robotics learning, autonomy, mechatronics). Emphasis on hands-on field testing and customer collaboration.

## Sources
1. [noblemachines.ai - Company Page](https://www.noblemachines.ai/company)
2. [noblemachines.ai - Home Page](https://www.noblemachines.ai/)
3. [noblemachines.ai - Press Release](https://www.noblemachines.ai/blog/noble-machines-emerges-from-stealth-ships-and-deploys-general-purpose-robots-for-industry)
4. [PitchBook - Noble Machines Profile](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/664287-58)
5. [LinkedIn - Noble Machines](https://www.linkedin.com/company/noble-machines)

## Other roles at Noble Machines, Inc

- [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-engineer-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-kgsb54knbt64) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Robotics Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-software-engineer-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-7eh1n4xmqjxf) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Product Manager, Simulation & Digital Twin](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-simulation-digital-twin-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-apsvzaw3bg4t) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Director of Finance](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-finance-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-04zscvnczwdd) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-dfjn28b0x9tb) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Teleoperator](https://feeny.ai/job/teleoperator-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-zjj07r2vn4pe) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Lead System Testing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-system-testing-engineer-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-g7405gg8kjn1) — Sunnyvale, CA
- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-noble-machines-inc-sunnyvale-vhw9ty8z3gfs) — Sunnyvale, CA