OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath Inc., designs, manufactures and operates self-driving vehicles to automate material movement inside busy factories and warehouses. Using self-driving technology much like the Google Car, the easy-to-use OTTO vehicles move inventory in a safe and flexible manner throughout the indoor supply chain. Customers include Fortune 100 brands like General Electric, John Deere, and Toyota. For more information, visit www.ottomotors.com.

Get to know the humans of OTTO Motors, what they do and why they chose a career at OTTO Motors!

What drew you to OTTO Motors?

The culture at OTTO Motors is fantastic: people are friendly, smart, and incredibly supportive. The work is meaningful and exciting, and the prospect of working with robots everyday was enticing.  

What differentiates OTTO Motors from other companies?

We build incredibly smart autonomous robots and take great pride in the work that we do. We have a fantastic work environment where people are encouraged to collaborate, innovate, and share ideas. 

What does your team do?

I’m a part of a new team that builds web applications and tools to empower engineers. For now, I work closely with the Navigation team which is responsible for robot navigation.

 
What does a typical day as a Full Stack Developer look like at OTTO Motors?

The typical day at OTTO Motors varies depending on what project you’re working on. Most days are spent working on new and exciting web apps for the company, or supporting existing solutions. The day usually contains a start and end sync where your team gets together quickly to bring up any obstacles that any of us are faced with, or anything that we want to look at together as a team. Some days usually involve code review where you will examine code that team members have submitted for feedback, which ultimately leads to a better product.

What’s the most satisfying part of your role?

Building tools that empower and help others. Learning new and fascinating concepts every day and doing work that is exciting and meaningful. 

What do you look forward to when coming to work in the morning?

Knowing that I get to work with others who are just as passionate and excited as I am about the work that we do. 

How did you get into Full Stack Development?

I’ve always enjoyed building tools meant to help and empower others and Full Stack development has been a natural way of doing this. Web app development was one of my favourite courses in school and I eagerly applied what I learned to build several full stack systems for the university I attended. Eventually, this led to a fulltime job and an exciting career path.

Did you have any prior experience in Robotics?

I’ve always had a deep interest in robotics, but never any formal robotics education. When I was young I disassembled old electronics to build robots (to the point where our house was littered with wires!). In teachers college I taught programming seminars using robots which was really fun. In my current role, there’s a lot of on-the-job learning which makes every day interesting and engaging.

What are the must-have skills or knowledge for this role?

Knowledge of building full stack web applications is a must, along with good problem solving skills. Knowledge in robotics is helpful but not necessarily required. Finally, a positive attitude and good communications skills are always great assets. 

What advice do you have for someone interested in applying to OTTO Motors?

Don’t be discouraged from applying if you’re not an afficianto roboticist. There’s always an opportunity to learn and grow your skills, and someone who is eager to learn and has a positive attitude can provide a lot of value.

Who is your favorite robot? And why?

I have lots of favourites, but I’d have to say right now it’s Atlas, a bipedal robot that can run, do flips and even dance. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for the field of robotics; it’s  a fascinating discipline that is perpetually evolving.

Interested?

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