Postdoctoral Researcher, Real-Time Generative AI for Automotive XR

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.

The Mission

Our team uses design thinking process to place the human at the center of determining the needs, design, and implementation of human-machine interfaces. By following this process, the HMIR team creates automotive HMI technologies that allow humans of any ability to work in harmony with AI.

The Team

In the Human-Machine Interaction Research group (HMIR), we design, develop and evaluate novel interfaces to improve the safety, well-being, and performance of drivers using human-centered artificial intelligence.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher for a research project exploring next-generation extended reality (XR) experiences for vehicles. The project investigates how generative AI and real-time video processing can enable new forms of visual augmentation and interaction between drivers and their environment. This role is intended for a researcher who can take ownership of core technical directions, drive implementation and evaluation, and coordinate closely with collaborators to deliver high-quality research outcomes.

This year-long postdoctoral research position will be highly integrated into the Human-Machine Interaction Research (HMIR) team at TRI. Please note that this opportunity will be an in-office role based in Los Altos, CA, and includes multiple trips to test tracks.

Responsibilities

• Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Track record of publications in top-tier venues (e.g. CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).
• Strong foundation in machine learning, especially in computer vision.
• Extensive hands-on experience with image/video generative models.
• Strong programming skills in Python; experience with Linux-based development.
• Proven ability to lead research projects to publication-quality outcomes.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Track record of publications in top-tier venues (e.g. CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).
• Strong foundation in machine learning, especially in computer vision.
• Extensive hands-on experience with image/video generative models.
• Strong programming skills in Python; experience with Linux-based development.
• Proven ability to lead research projects to publication-quality outcomes.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in real-time or resource-constrained ML systems.
• Experience with GPU acceleration, profiling, or low-level optimization.

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $152,000 and $218,500/year for California-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) eligibility, paid time off benefits (including vacation, sick time, and parental leave), and an annual cash bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
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