Internship: Object Detection for Manure Collection Robot

Internship: Object Detection for Manure Collection Robot

Are you a hands-on, creative and inquisitive engineering student ready to tackle real-world challenges? From September onwards, we offer you the opportunity to join our multidisciplinary R&D team at Lely in Maassluis and contribute to one of our most essential robotic solutions: the manure collection robot. This robot plays a vital role in maintaining hygiene in the barn, and we’re on a mission to make its object detection smarter and more reliable.

During your internship, you'll dive into the exciting task of integrating affordable sensor technology in a redundant setup. Your goal is to increase detection accuracy of specific object types in dynamic barn environments. And the best part? You won’t just be running simulations behind a screen – you’ll get your hands dirty (literally and figuratively) by working on the real robot in our fully equipped workshop and testing in real barn environments.

You will be part of a passionate, international R&D team of about 20 engineers from various disciplines, collaborating to deliver innovative agricultural technology that truly makes a difference for dairy farmers.

Your key responsibilities:

• Analyze the current object detection challenge and define technical requirements.
• Investigate and select suitable sensor combinations (e.g., vision, ultrasound, lidar).
• Design and build a prototype for a redundant detection system using microcontrollers.
• Integrate the prototype on the robot and conduct real-world testing.
• Evaluate system performance and recommend improvements.
• Document your findings and share your insights with the team.

You are currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (HBO/WO) in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Product Design, Automotive, Mechatronics, Electronics, or Technical Informatics. You have a strong technical foundation, enjoy exploring new technologies, and are not afraid to get hands-on with hardware and software in a dynamic setting.

We are looking for someone who brings the following:

• Experience or strong interest in sensor technology, mechanics, and microcontrollers.
• A creative and problem-solving mindset.
• Affinity with building and testing physical prototypes.
• Able to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team.
• Fluent in Dutch and/or English (spoken and written).
• Enthusiastic to work with real robots in real barn environments.

What do we offer you?

At Lely, we offer you an instructive and dynamic internship experience in one of the most innovative organisations in the Netherlands. You will become part of a driven team and get plenty of room to further develop your talents.

• An international working environment.
• An internship allowance of €400 per month.
• An internship appartment if the travel time is too long.
• Our modern Lely Campus offers daily access to extensive sports facilities: an indoor gym, outdoor padel courts, an outdoor basketball and volleyball court, table tennis and table football. You can join Hyrox workouts or sign up for personal training - and challenge your colleagues during an active break.
• Enjoy fresh coffee and tea from our own barista, with milk straight from our farm, as well as a healthy and affordable company restaurant.
• A free shuttle bus takes you to and from the metro in Maassluis, so your working day starts and ends smoothly.

We are also proud that our commitment and vision have been rewarded by winning the Rotterdam Entrepreneur Award 2025!

About Lely

Lely, founded in 1948, is committed to a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable future in the agricultural sector. With the farmer’s challenges and the cow’s needs at the center, we develop high-quality robots and data systems that enhance animal welfare, flexibility, and productivity on dairy farms. Our goal is to support sustainable food production.

For over 30 years, we have been a global leader in the sales and service of automated systems to successive generations of dairy farmers. Every day, we inspire our colleagues to offer customers innovative solutions and to be a trusted partner for long-term advice and support. With our state-of-the-art Lely Campus in Maassluis and a global network of dedicated Lely Centers for tailored sales and service, Lely operates in more than fifty countries.