Actuation Engineering Intern (Summer)

REGENT•North Kingstown, RI

About The Position

REGENT is developing Seagliders, wing-in-ground-effect craft designed to provide fast, affordable coastal transportation for passengers and cargo. The Actuation Engineering Intern will support the actuation engineering team in evaluating actuators and drive systems for the Viceroy and Squire Seagliders. The role is part of the Electrical Systems team within Engineering & Technology and involves hands-on lab work, hardware testing, documentation review, and evidence-based component assessments. The intern will build test stands and jigs, install actuators and drives, run performance evaluations, interpret vendor documentation, and use programming tools such as Python to communicate with hardware and collect data. They will help qualify components, navigate CAD models and assemblies, and present assessment results to mechanical and electrical teams. The role offers increasing independence, with the intern progressing from guided lab work to running experiments and presenting findings that inform the company’s actuation approach.

Requirements

Be a rising senior or graduate student in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or mechatronics engineering, or a related field.
Have solid core engineering fundamentals.
Be mechanically inclined and comfortable using hand tools, building jigs, and handling hardware.
Have working knowledge of a programming language such as Python sufficient to communicate with actuators and drives and interpret their data.
Communicate clearly in writing and speaking, including when working with vendors.
Work collaboratively with engineers, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
Adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced startup environment and approach challenges with a practical, inventive mindset.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with actuators, communication protocols, or sensors such as temperature, force, strain, or position.
Experience with 3D CAD and drawings.
Comfort working with low-voltage DC power circuits.
Familiarity with MATLAB or Simulink.

Responsibilities

Construct test stands and jigs in the actuation lab and install actuators and drives.
Run performance evaluations of actuators and drive systems and compare models to assess their tradeoffs and capabilities.
Interpret vendor datasheets and manuals and communicate with vendors about product specifications and communication requirements.
Use programming tools such as Python to communicate with actuators and drives, retrieve data, and verify behavior.
Support qualification of actuators and drives for use on Viceroy and Squire Seagliders through evidence-based assessments.
Navigate CAD models and help arrange actuation equipment within assemblies during evaluations.
Compile assessment results into a presentation for mechanical and electrical teams.