About Knightscope

Knightscope is a security technology company building the nation’s first Autonomous Security Force. The Company combines autonomous machines, advanced software, and human expertise to help protect people, property, and critical infrastructure. Knightscope’s long-term mission is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world.

Job Summary

Knightscope is seeking a Mid/Senior Embedded Software Engineer to join our product development team and support a new hardware program. In this role, you will lead software system design, subsystem development, component integration for a wearable technology product—from early prototyping through production readiness. You will work cross-functionally with mechanical, electrical, systems and other software engineers in a fast-paced, gate-driven product development environment and play a critical role in shaping a first-of-its-kind platform.

Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ

About the Role

The role is an on-site, ownership-driven position within a multidisciplinary program team, requiring a hands-on engineer who is comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving decisions across mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries. You will be expected to make thoughtful tradeoffs and carry designs from early concept

This individual will own the full software scope of a new wearable hardware product, including IMU bring-up and sensor integration, sensor fusion, electronic image stabilization (EIS) of the video stream, optimization for real-time performance on the target compute (NVIDIA Jetson / ARM SoC), working knowledge of video systems, and testing support.

Please include the Disney character that best describes you in your resume—and make sure to ask your interviewers the same.

Key Responsibilities

IMU Integration

Interface with IMU chip (gyroscope/accelerometer) via SPI or I2C communication protocols
Read, parse, and timestamp raw IMU sensor data in real time
Calibrate IMU for bias, drift, noise, and temperature compensation
Implement sensor fusion algorithms (e.g., Kalman filter, Madgwick filter) to produce accurate orientation and motion estimates

Video Stabilization

Develop Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) algorithms using IMU motion data
Compute camera motion trajectories and apply correction transforms to video frames
Minimize latency between IMU data capture and video frame correction
Tune stabilization parameters to balance smoothness vs. responsiveness

System Integration

Synchronize IMU data timestamps with video frame timestamps precisely
Integrate stabilization pipeline into the embedded system or host application
Optimize algorithms for real-time performance on target hardware (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, ARM SoC)
Work with camera/hardware team to understand the mechanical and optical constraints

Testing & Validation

Design test procedures to evaluate stabilization quality under various motion conditions
Measure and benchmark latency, jitter, and stabilization accuracy
Debug and resolve issues related to sensor noise, frame drops, or timing misalignment

Required Qualifications

S. or M.S. degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related field.
5+ years of software engineering experience, including shipping software on hardware products.
Hands-on experience interfacing with IMU or other MEMS sensors
Demonstrated experience with real-time systems and low-latency data processing
Prior work on image or video processing pipelines is strongly preferred
Experience with robotics, drones, action cameras, or autonomous vehicles is a big plus
Strong proficiency in C and C++
Experience with SPI, I2C, and UART communication protocols
Solid understanding of digital signal processing (DSP) concepts
Familiarity with sensor fusion techniques (Kalman filter, complementary filter, etc.)
Experience with Linux-based embedded systems or RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $150,000 - $180,000
Equity: Stock options
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off
Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ

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