Join the crew!

2026 Applications - Now Open !

2026 Applications - Now Open !

Submission Deadline March, 1st, 11:59pm (ET)

Who Should Apply

We welcome motivated students from all SEAS disciplines. Experience in the following areas is especially useful:

  • Perception: camera, lidar, radar calibration, object detection and tracking

  • Motion Planning and graph search algorithms

  • Vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics simulation

  • Control systems and optimization

  • ROS2 and C++ software development

  • Computer vision

  • Systems integration and real-time software

If you are unsure whether your background fits, you are still encouraged to apply.

Application Process

All interested students:

  1. Submit the online application form, and

  2. Complete a technical take-home assignment based on real race car data and ROS2 tooling.

Every applicant is evaluated holistically based on their background, skills, and take-home submission, with emphasis on problem solving approach, code quality, technical reasoning, and effort rather than perfect results. Both the application and the take-home task must be submitted by the stated deadline, and applicants are encouraged to join the take-home Slack workspace early to ask questions and get clarification while working on the assignment.

Step 1 - Fill the application form




Submission deadline March 1st, 2026, 11:59pm (ET)
This form collects your background, skills, interests, and availability.
Complete Step 2 and then submit the form.

2026 Application Form

Step 2 - Hands on racing data challenge

Before submitting the application, you must complete a small assignmnt based on real race car data and ROS2 tooling.
You will:

  • Work with recorded racecar data

  • Compute vehicle dynamics metrics

  • Implement a ROS2 node

  • Publish and visualize results

  1. Start here:

    https://github.com/linklab-uva/cav_take_home_fall_26

  2. Join the Take-Home Slack workspace for questions and updates: [Join Take-Home Slack workspace]

  3. Provide the URL to your take home submission n the application form and submit by deadline March 1st, 2026, 11:59pm (ET)

Notes:

  • The task is intentionally challenging

  • It is fine if you are new to ROS2 or vehicle dynamics

  • We evaluate your approach, reasoning, and effort, not just perfect output

  • Ask questions in Slack early rather than getting stuck silently