--- title: 'Intern - Industrial Designer at Human Computer Lab' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/intern-industrial-designer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-sah410f831c9' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-04' --- # Intern - Industrial Designer at Human Computer Lab - **Company:** Human Computer Lab - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Employment:** internship - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2026-08-26 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-04 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab/9aa0a361-9807-404b-a87e-1460699a296d ## Job description Human Computer Lab is a research lab building character robots that feel alive and responsive. Our first robot, LeLamp, explores a new category of consumer robotics where everyday objects become interactive and help us reshape our attachment to technology. Our goal is to push the frontier of human-robot interaction by making technology more legible, emotionally intuitive, and human-centered. We are building the foundation for a new generation of robots designed for everyday environments. What to expect We’re looking for a designer who thinks deeply about how objects make people feel and wants to shape what LeLamp looks like, how it interacts with people, and what it communicates just by sitting on a table. This isn’t about styling around existing hardware, it’s about defining the visual and physical language of a new kind of object without precedent. You’ll work closely with the CEO and founding team to take the robot’s exterior form from early sketches through physical samples to shipped products. In this role, you will: - Lead the exterior design of LeLamp across product generations, and maintain consistency as the product platform evolves. - Develop the product’s visual language, form, materials, and emotional presence. - Sketch and present design directions that communicate personality, not just geometry. - Translate concepts into production-ready 3D models with mechanical engineers. - Define CMF specs (materials, colors, finishes) and maintain documentation. - Review prototypes and cosmetic samples against design intent. - Contribute to how the robot is presented visually, including packaging, photography, art direction, and first-impression experience. - Own Class-A surfacing for injection molded and fabricated exterior parts, and ensuring surfaces remain DFM-ready without compromising design quality. - Prepare visual references, annotated models, and finish sample boards to support design reviews. You may be a good fit if you: - Have 3+ years in industrial or product design (consumer hardware or robotics). - Have a strong portfolio showing proportion, detail, and emotional sensitivity. - Have taken products from concept to production. - Are fluent in Rhino, Alias, Fusion, or similar tools. - Are comfortable designing without clear precedents. - Have Class-A surfacing experience. - Have worked with CMF specs and injection molding vendors. - Understand DFM constraints (draft, parting lines, textures). - Have a sharp eye for cosmetic quality and can articulate the difference between acceptable and not. - Care how products feel in everyday life, not just how they render. We are looking for people who: - Care deeply about how everyday objects fit into people's lives and homes. - Can hold creative direction steady across a long, messy development process without losing the thread. - Move quickly and can iterate through physical samples and vendor feedback without losing design direction. - Take ownership over the aesthetic quality of the product, even in stages of the process they don't directly control. - Work well in small, collaborative teams where the industrial designer and mechanical engineer are often the same conversation. - Think about the full arc from concept to shipped unit and hold the thread throughout. The early team becomes the DNA of the company. We set ourselves and others to a high standard, and we respond with kindness when things get hard but keep everyone accountable. This requires us to be curious, creative, and diverse in our thinking and approach. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don’t want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent. ## About Human Computer Lab ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Human Computer Lab is a research and experimentation lab focused on researching and building expressive robots that reshape human attachment to technology. - **Entity Type**: Private (Pre-seed stage) - **Headquarters**: Newark, Delaware, United States (with presence in Canada) - **Founded**: Not publicly available - **Founders**: Shahvir Sarkary (Founder, CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics, Human-Computer Interaction, Research Services - **Target customers**: B2C (early adopters, hobbyists, artists, roboticists) and potentially B2B (research partners) - **Mission or purpose statement**: "Human–computer research and experimentation lab, focused on researching and building expressive robots." ## Products & Services - **[LeLamp](https://www.lelamp.com/)**: An emotional and expressive robot designed to reshape human attachment to technology. Pre-orders are currently open. The product aims to make building a robot feel like assembling IKEA furniture. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total Funding – Pre-seed round led by FR8 and South Park Commons (announced September 2025) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: FR8, South Park Commons - **Growth Signals**: Active hiring for multiple roles (Controls Engineer, ML Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Interns); growing social media presence and hosting community events (Demo Faires, artist-roboticist collectives); monthly LinkedIn follower growth of ~7.8% ## Competitive Advantages - **Unique focus on emotional expressiveness**: LeLamp is positioned as a robot that conveys emotion and personality, differentiating it from utilitarian or industrial robots. - **Research-driven approach**: The lab conducts human-computer research to inform robot design, blending art and engineering. - **Accessibility ethos**: They aim to make robot building as simple as assembling IKEA furniture, lowering the barrier for entry. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Scaling LeLamp from pilot to production; building a community around expressive robotics; expanding the team with engineering and growth talent. - **Direction for growth**: Continued research into springiness, damping, and life-like movement; hosting events to foster a collective of artists and roboticists. ## Why Work Here - **Culture highlights**: Small, tight-knit team (5–6 employees) with a strong emphasis on creativity, experimentation, and joy in building robots. The lab hosts science-fair style Demo Faires and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration. - **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Hybrid workspace – employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work. Offices in Newark, Delaware (US) and likely Toronto (Canada). - **Notable perks or engineering culture**: Hands-on work with expressive robotics, opportunity to shape early product direction, exposure to cutting-edge HCI research, and a culture that values “taste” and wholesome robot interactions. ## Sources 1. [humancomputerlab.com](https://www.humancomputerlab.com/) 2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/human-computer-lab) 3. [builtin.com/company/human-computer-lab](https://builtin.com/company/human-computer-lab) 4. [linkedin.com/company/humancomputerlab](https://www.linkedin.com/company/humancomputerlab) 5. [research.humancomputerlab.com](https://research.humancomputerlab.com/) ## Other roles at Human Computer Lab - [Intern - Animator and Rigging Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-animator-and-rigging-artist-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-1f9hfxwggdaj) — San Francisco, CA - [Character Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/character-artist-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-26j4s69r8bva) — San Francisco, CA - [Supply Chain Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-q0nk1qctstc9) — San Francisco, CA - [Perception Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/perception-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-4cbh6w64pvp5) — San Francisco, CA - [Intern - Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-mechanical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-4dq9hpk53nre) — San Francisco, CA - [Intern - Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-controls-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-w4wm7p7md9s4) — San Francisco, CA - [Intern - Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-electrical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-g3ajckdcyn50) — San Francisco, CA - [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-kp72qewd6www) — San Francisco, CA - [Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-engineer-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-yptemacde2jv) — San Francisco, CA - [Intern - Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-growth-human-computer-lab-san-francisco-zb9dbrz2h03z) — San Francisco, CA