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 technical animator to rig LeLamp, our first robot, and own the animation pipeline that brings it to life on physical hardware people will actually live with. This role sits at an unusual intersection: the technical depth to build a rig that maps onto real joint constraints and actuator limits, and the creative sensibility to design motion that feels intentional and warm, shaping whether the robot comes across as alive or mechanical. You'll work closely with the CEO and engineers to translate design intent into motion that runs on the robot itself, not just in a viewport.
In this role, you will:
Build and maintain the robot rig, defining joint hierarchies, constraints, and control structures aligned with hardware limits
Design and animate behaviors including idle motion, reactions, transitions, gestures, and interaction sequences
Work with controls and firmware engineers to translate animation intent into real robot motion
Stay aligned with mechanical updates and maintain the rig as the platform evolves
Maintain a URDF-compatible or simulation-ready representation of the robot
Help define the robot’s motion language and expressive vocabulary
Build internal tools, workflows, and documentation for the animation pipeline
Evaluate animations on physical hardware and iterate until intent translates reliably
You may be a good fit if you:
Have professional experience as a technical animator or rigger with a strong rigging and animation portfolio
Are fluent in Maya, Blender, or similar DCC tools and can build production-quality rigs from scratch
Understand animation principles such as timing, weight, anticipation, and follow-through
Have experience rigging mechanical or non-organic subjects with real-world constraints
Have strong intuition for what makes motion feel alive rather than mechanical
Are comfortable building pipelines in environments where they don’t yet exist
Have experience animating robots, mechanical characters, or non-humanoid subjects
Have exposure to procedural animation, motion graphs, or behavior trees
Are familiar with URDF, ROS, or simulators such as Gazebo, MuJoCo, or Isaac Sim
Have experience working in Unity, Unreal, or other real-time animation environments
Have experience collaborating with engineering teams on hardware or robotics projects
You will be a strong fit, if you:
Care deeply about motion as a form of communication
See constraints like joint limits and actuator bandwidth as part of the creative process
Take ownership of the robot’s motion language from keyframe to hardware execution
Work well in small, collaborative teams across animation, engineering, and design
Want to create motion for a physical object that lives in someone’s home, not just on a screen
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.
