Mechanical Design Engineer, Tactile Sensing

Mind Robotics • Palo Alto, CA

9d

About The Position

Design and develop mechanical components, assemblies, and skins for tactile sensors integrated into robotic end effectors (fingertips, palms, gripper surfaces), data collection gloves and other contact-rich subsystems. Own the tactile sensor stack mechanically from transducer packaging and skin/elastomer design through integration into volume-constrained, cable-routed assemblies. Develop and tune elastomer / compliant materials (silicone, urethane, gels) including durometer selection, embedded markers or particles, surface texturing, and durability under shear and cyclic loading. Rapidly build, test, and break prototypes. Use 3D printing and manual fabrication to validate designs. Perform analyses (FEA, contact mechanics, tolerance, thermal) to validate sensor performance, predict failure modes, and guide design decisions. Design characterization fixtures and accelerated test plans — indenters, force/torque ground truth setups, shear testers, life-cycle rigs — to validate tactile performance under realistic contact conditions. Contribute to DFM/DFA efforts so sensor designs scale from low-volume prototypes to high-volume production. Source components and work closely with machine shops, materials suppliers, and contract manufacturers to ensure parts are manufactured and shipped to spec and on time. Develop specifications and accelerated test plans to validate the product for its lifetime. Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, firmware, controls, and ML teams to translate raw sensor signals into usable manipulation feedback.

Requirements

• Exceptional Mechanical Intuition. You understand how forces, materials, and contact mechanics behave instinctively.
• 5+ years of experience (or equivalent "hard tech" projects) building complex electromechanical systems, sensors, or tactile/haptic devices.
• Direct experience with at least one tactile sensing modality — capacitive, resistive, optical/vision-based, magnetic, , piezoelectric, MEMS, or barometric.
• Strong materials intuition, particularly with elastomers - hands-on experience with casting, molding, surface treatments, and characterization.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques such as 3D printing, machining, soft lithography, etc.
• High proficiency in SolidWorks, Catia, or similar CAD tools.
• Hands-on problem-solving approach with ability to iterate quickly.
• Experience designing for volume processes (injection molding, casting, CNC, etc.) and working with contract manufacturers.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity, move fast, and have an "engineering curiosity" that drives you to understand how the entire system works, not just your part.

Nice To Haves

• PhD or research experience in tactile / haptic sensing, soft robotics, or contact-rich manipulation.
• Experience designing sensor characterization rigs and analyzing the resulting data.
• Working knowledge of sensor electronics and analog front-ends sufficient to collaborate deeply with EE.
• Prior work on humanoid hands, dexterous grippers, or prosthetics.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components, assemblies, and skins for tactile sensors integrated into robotic end effectors (fingertips, palms, gripper surfaces), data collection gloves and other contact-rich subsystems.
• Own the tactile sensor stack mechanically from transducer packaging and skin/elastomer design through integration into volume-constrained, cable-routed assemblies.
• Develop and tune elastomer / compliant materials (silicone, urethane, gels) including durometer selection, embedded markers or particles, surface texturing, and durability under shear and cyclic loading.
• Rapidly build, test, and break prototypes.
• Use 3D printing and manual fabrication to validate designs.
• Perform analyses (FEA, contact mechanics, tolerance, thermal) to validate sensor performance, predict failure modes, and guide design decisions.
• Design characterization fixtures and accelerated test plans — indenters, force/torque ground truth setups, shear testers, life-cycle rigs — to validate tactile performance under realistic contact conditions.
• Contribute to DFM/DFA efforts so sensor designs scale from low-volume prototypes to high-volume production.
• Source components and work closely with machine shops, materials suppliers, and contract manufacturers to ensure parts are manufactured and shipped to spec and on time.
• Develop specifications and accelerated test plans to validate the product for its lifetime.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, firmware, controls, and ML teams to translate raw sensor signals into usable manipulation feedback.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed