Vision Systems Engineer

Job description | Trener Robotics

About us

At Trener Robotics, we are building the future of industrial automation through intelligent agents that understand natural language and control robotic stations. Our product, Acteris, bridges AI and robotics to deliver flexible, user-friendly automation.

We are a fast-growing, venture-backed company entering a phase of rapid scale. Our mission is to make AI-powered robotics accessible, and we are building the team that will make it real. Now, we are looking for a Vision Systems Engineer to join us and build the vision stack of Acteris.

The role

You will lead the technical development of the vision stack of our robotics software platform, Acteris, from sensor selection and integration to calibration, vision algorithms and quality in production. This is a hands-on role with high autonomy: you will drive the key technical decisions in the vision domain and be accountable end to end for the reliability of what ships. You will shape the vision roadmap together with product and engineering leadership.

What you will do

Sensor selection and qualification: translate application needs into sensor specs, evaluate industrial 2D/3D cameras against factory constraints (performance, interfaces, ruggedness, IP rating, cost, 24/7 operation) and run bench and in-cell tests to a documented go/no-go.
Sensor integration: build production-grade camera adapters behind a vendor-agnostic interface that exposes sensor status, visual feeds and calibration validity to the rest of the stack.
Sensor and image tuning: tune sensor parameters (e.g. exposure, white balance…) and condition images and point clouds so perception gets a stable input under changing conditions.
Calibration: own intrinsic and extrinsic calibration end to end, including tooling, validation metrics that reflect real-world accuracy, and workflows that non-experts can run on site.
Perception skills: implement, integrate, and maintain capabilities such as part localization and pose estimation, combining classical geometry and learning-based methods pragmatically.
Quality: define and own vision benchmarks and quality gates for the lab and for production, with clear diagnostics and failure reporting.
Deployment tooling: build the interfaces and tools integrators use to set up, calibrate and validate the vision stack in production.

Required experience

5 to 8 years of hands-on industrial computer vision experience, with systems deployed and running in production.
Integration and configuration of industrial 3D / RGB-D sensors, including intrinsic and extrinsic calibration and sensor tuning for image and depth quality.
Solid 2D and 3D processing: depth maps, point clouds, filtering, geometric fitting and segmentation.
Production-quality C++ and Python, with testing, code review and CI as part of daily work.
Ownership and clear communication in a distributed team: you plan your work from goals, flag blockers early and report status openly.

Nice to have

Experience with ROS 2 and behavior trees.
Selecting and qualifying sensors for factory deployments.
Deep learning or foundation models for segmentation or pose estimation, taken to production.
Industrial camera interfaces and synchronization (e.g. GigE Vision, triggering, PTP).
Vision-guided robotics, e.g. part picking, tray or bin picking, or machine tending and other production cells.

What you will get

Direct impact on the vision layer of a category-defining automation platform, and on product reliability and customer outcomes.
The opportunity to work hands-on with real robots from day one.
A seat where engineering meets product: your work directly shapes how the platform performs in production.
Collaboration with a high-caliber team across AI, robotics, systems engineering, and product, all aligned on a clear and ambitious mission.
A fast-moving, mission-driven environment where rigorous engineering and pragmatic problem-solving are equally valued.
A clear growth path as the vision domain scales.

About the company

Trener Robotics provides Acteris, a robot-agnostic software platform that serves as the control brain for industrial robots. It replaces hard-coded programming with pre-trained, production-ready skills powered by foundation models that fuse vision, language, and action. Operators can describe tasks in natural language, and Acteris translates them into executable automation that can operate in unstructured environments across ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC. The company targets system integrators and OEMs to deploy flexible, skills-based automation, starting with CNC machine tending, and aims to expand its library of robot skills and partnerships through its T-Labs division.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$32M

Headquarters

San Jose, California

Founded

2024

Get referred to Trener Robotics

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

February 2026 Series A raised $32 million, lifting total funding above $38 million.
Nikon invested through NFocus Fund to pair Trener software with vision robotics.
RARUK and new channel hires expanded Trener's European and North American go-to-market.

What critics are saying

Acteris depends on third-party robot OEMs and integrators, not owned distribution.
ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC already control customers, data, and interfaces.
If CNC machine-tending deployments stall in 2026, Trener loses its core proof point.

What makes Trener Robotics unique

Acteris replaces code-heavy robot programming with natural-language, pre-trained industrial skills.
Trener is robot-agnostic, spanning ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC deployments.
In August 2026, AMD named Trener a founding Open Robotics Ecosystem partner.

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Trener

Sep 22nd, 2026

Trener Robotics raises $32M Series A to bring Physical AI and software-defined control to industrial automation – Trener Robotics

The fresh capital will scale deployment of Acteris, an agentic AI platform that transforms industrial robots into intelligent, self-learning teammates

Trener

Aug 25th, 2026

Meet the treners: Lincoln Frazier.

Meet the treners: Lincoln Frazier. August 25, 2026 Trener Robotics In more than 25 years of selling automation solutions across North America, Lincoln Frazier kept running into the same problem. Manufacturers wanted to automate. The technology existed. But the projects never happened, because they were too complex and the required expertise was too hard to find. That pattern is what brought him to Trener. "I have spent my career selling automation components where others create the solution," Lincoln says. "During that time I learned that many automation projects never happen because they are too complex or the required skill sets are too hard to find. Acteris is a revolutionary platform that will enable more people to operate automation equipment, leading to more projects being considered." A career built on channel development. Before joining Trener, Lincoln held sales and leadership roles at Universal Robots, DENSO Robotics, Epson Robotics, Stäubli Robotics, ABB Flexible Automation, Dorner Manufacturing, FlexLink, and Harpak-ULMA Packaging Systems. Across more than two decades, he built and managed sales channels throughout North America, working closely with system integrators, distributors, OEMs, and enterprise customers to expand market coverage and accelerate automation adoption. What makes his experience particularly relevant at Trener is not just the breadth of companies or the depth of relationships. It is the understanding of where the channel breaks down. Lincoln has seen integrators walk away from projects that were technically feasible but practically too expensive to deliver. He has seen distributors with strong end-user relationships unable to bring meaningful value because the automation solutions available were too rigid or too complex to justify. Acteris changes that calculation. His mission at Trener. Lincoln's focus is channel development, primarily on the East Coast, working with system integrators and distributors to build the partner network that brings Acteris to manufacturers across North America. For integrators, the opportunity is straightforward: faster deployments, lower engineering overhead, and access to projects that were previously too complex or too risky to take on. For distributors, it opens up a new category of conversations with their end-user base, ones that end in a deployment rather than a brochure. Outside of work, Lincoln lives in Greenville, South Carolina, where he enjoys spending time with his family. If you are a system integrator or distributor working in industrial automation and want to explore what a Trener partnership looks like, reach out to Lincoln on LinkedIn. Join the partner network. Trener is actively expanding its network of system integrators and distributors across North America. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Trener partner, visit trener.ai/partners.

Process and Control Today Ltd

Mar 24th, 2026

RARUK Automation to offer Acteris AI robot software.

RARUK Automation to offer Acteris AI robot software. 24/03/2026 RAR UK Automation (R.A. Rodriguez) Automation and robotics distributor RARUK Automation has signed an exclusive UK distribution agreement with Trener Robotics (formerly T-Robotics). Headquartered in San Jose, California, and Trondheim, Norway, Trener Robotics offers an AI platform - Acteris - designed to bring artificial intelligence to manufacturing robots. Instead of the traditional code-based programming required to get a robot cell up and running, Trener Robotics' Acteris platform offers a learning-based software solution powered by Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models. This enables greater adaptability to changing production needs and makes automation increasingly accessible for those with no prior experience. Acteris can be deployed on new robot cells or retrofitted on existing work cells. RARUK Automation is the UK's leading Universal Robots distributor, offering a portfolio of complementary products including application kits, end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) and vision systems to automate repetitive manufacturing tasks. Combining Acteris with the popular Universal Robots range will unlock new automation possibilities for RARUK Automation's UK customers. "We're pleased to announce our new partnership with Trener Robotics. Their innovative approach to Physical AI, and replacing point-to-point programming with adaptive intelligence, aligns perfectly with RARUK Automation's mission to make automation accessible, intuitive and commercially beneficial for manufacturers of all sizes." - Ross Lacy, Sales Director at RARUK Automation. Acteris enables robots to adapt to real-world environments where variation and complex operating conditions are common. This allows manufacturers to move from traditional programming to intuitive and scalable automation. "Partnering with RARUK Automation is a strategic step in our mission to bring Physical AI to global manufacturing. RARUK has a strong reputation for making automation accessible, and by combining their automation expertise with the Acteris platform, we are giving UK manufacturers the ability to deploy robots that see, learn, and adapt in real time. We are moving away from the era of static programming and into a future where intelligent robotics is the standard on the factory floor." - Jacob Pascual Pape, VP of Sales at Trener Robotics.

Metrology News

Feb 26th, 2026

Nikon Expands Vision Robotics Strategy with Investment in Trener Robotics

Nikon expands Vision Robotics strategy with investment in Trener Robotics. Nikon Corporation has announced that it has made an investment in Trener Robotics, based California, United States through the NFocus Fund[*]. Trener Robotics' total funding to date is over $38 million. The new capital will be used to accelerate Trener's T-Labs R&D, new skill training, global talent acquisition, and market and partner expansion. Trener Robotics provides a physical artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform 'Acteris' that enables natural language programming specifically for industrial robots. Acteris delivers pre-trained, production-ready skills to automate complex, high-variability workflows in real production environments. It enables natural language programming, allowing operators to give simple written instructions that Acteris translates into robot actions, eliminating conventional code-based programming and accelerating deployment of advanced industrial automation. Leveraging more than a century of expertise in applied optics and precision technologies, Nikon is accelerating the commercialization of robot vision system products to establish this field as a new pillar of its business. Through this investment, Nikon aims to combine Trener Robotics' AI-powered digital technologies with Nikon's robot vision system to address various challenges associated with next generation manufacturing sites that promote labor saving and unmanned operations, thereby maximizing site automation, efficiency, and versatility. Go Ichinose, General Manager of the Vision Robotics, Nikon Corporation said, "Like Nikon technology, Trener Robotics' AI technology advances innovation at manufacturing sites, and it will enable users to easily implement autonomous robotic operations across a wide range of applications. We foresee strong synergies with Nikon's real time situational recognition and robot control technologies that will enable us to deliver the high speed, precise, and flexible automation required in real-world industrial environments. Nikon is deeply impressed by Trener Robotics as they continue to address the dynamic challenges in the rapidly evolving field of AI robotics. Through this investment, and other initiatives within Nikon and our Vision Robotics business, we look forward to unlocking groundbreaking capabilities for the next generation of robotic operations." In 2025, Trener Robotics demonstrated significant momentum, collaborating with more than 15 solutions and integration partners across Europe and the U.S., and integrating leading robot brands like ABB, Universal Robots and FANUC into Acteris. *NFocus Fund is a private equity investment fund jointly established by Nikon and Geodesic Capital (California, USA).

Canadian Metalworking

Feb 23rd, 2026

Trener Robotics raises $32M to advance AI-driven CNC robot automation

Trener Robotics raises $32M to advance AI-driven CNC robot automation. Trener Robotics has launched Acteris, an AI-driven software platform designed to bring pre-trained Physical AI skills to industrial robots in CNC automation, alongside the close of a $32 million Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Engine Ventures and IAG Capital Partners, with participation from Cadence and Geodesic Capital through Nikon's NFocus Fund. Total funding now exceeds $38 million. The company said the capital will support expanded CNC machine tending capabilities, market growth, and hiring. Acteris replaces traditional procedural robot programming with pre-trained AI skills, allowing operators to describe tasks in natural language. The system converts conversational input into executable automation and adapts to high-mix production environments. Initially focused on robotic CNC machine tending, the platform offers real-time optimization, intelligent collision avoidance, part identification, and production monitoring. It is currently compatible with ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC systems. Trener Robotics has partnered with more than 15 integrators across Europe and the United States to deliver turnkey solutions. The company said the platform reduces programming complexity, shortens deployment timelines, and supports scalable automation in response to growing demand for flexible manufacturing.

Trener Robotics

Vision Systems Engineer

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