Summer Engineering Intern

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Voltic Shipping is a Y Combinator-backed clean energy startup developing solar-powered cargo vessels for global trade routes. Our prototype catamaran pontoon carries a close-packed array of solar panels as part of an integrated 12 V power system. This internship has two goals: first, analytically determine whether deploying solar tracking across Voltic's production fleet makes commercial sense — weighing efficiency gain against actuator cost, weight, sealing complexity, and maintenance at scale; second, build and validate a working single-axis tracker on the prototype pontoon through sea trials in Boston Harbor, confirming the model's predictions against measured data.

Your analytical findings will directly inform Voltic's product roadmap. The hardware build and harbor trial are the means of validating that the model can be trusted across the global latitudes and seasons where Voltic's vessels operate.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Implement a real-time sun-position algorithm (NOAA SPA / pvlib) on a Teensy 4.1 / Raspberry Pi 5 stack, ingesting live GPS coordinates for route-aware tracking
• Derive the inter-panel shading constraint for the pontoon's panel layout: compute the maximum rotation angle before a tracking panel casts shadow on the panel behind it, as a function of solar elevation. Incorporate this limit into both the efficiency model and the controller
• Assess whole-array vs. per-panel actuation architectures: quantify which delivers better net energy gain per unit cost and weight at Voltic's scale, accounting for shading and actuator count
• Survey sealed actuator options for marine use: characterize cost at volume, weight, IP rating, and expected service life in a salt-spray environment
• Build a closed-loop single-axis azimuth tracker on the prototype pontoon and tune pointing accuracy to ±5° RMS
• Run 1–2 days of sea trials in Boston Harbor: log tracked vs. fixed panel power output and motor draw simultaneously; confirm measured efficiency gain matches model prediction
• Produce an energy balance confirming the tracker recovers far more energy than the actuator consumes
• Write a commercial recommendation memo and a final technical report suitable for Voltic's grant applications and investor materials

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Massachusetts resident or Massachusetts college - internship funding provided by MassCEC
• Junior, senior, or graduate student in ME, EE, or Ocean Engineering
• Completed coursework in feedback control systems
• Python programming (numpy, pandas, matplotlib) and comfort with Linux CLI
• Hands-on experience with microcontrollers (Arduino, Teensy, RPi, or similar)
• Comfortable working near or on water

Preferred:

• Experience with mechatronics or actuator-driven hardware projects
• Familiarity with solar / PV energy fundamentals or pvlib
• C++ firmware experience (PlatformIO)
• Exposure to CAD tools (SolidWorks, Rhino, or equivalent)

LOCATION & LOGISTICS

Work takes place at our workshop in East Boston, MA, approximately a 20-minute walk from Maverick Station (MBTA Blue Line). Sea trials are conducted in Boston Harbor. The position is on-site; no remote option.

We welcome applicants interested in other projects as well. Please detail your proposal in your application.

Interview Process

Submit a brief paragraph describing a controls or embedded systems project you’ve worked on.