Co-op: Mechanical Engineer - Focus Design

Mechanical Engineer - Focus Design: This student will be a major contributor to the development of new and existing brake and clutch designs. This student is responsible for using existing tools to design custom robotics components to meet customer specifications. They will be involved in customer meetings, design custom products, translate these designs into production files, place orders with suppliers and perform incoming and outgoing quality control. This student will also work to improve existing design tools to quickly deliver custom rotary and linear designs. Side projects may involve developing demos and fun applications of the technology that grab people's attention. This student also has the opportunity to invent or contribute to the invention of new electroadhesive products. This student will support our customers, grow our product line and contribute to our success as a startup.

Past students have become patent authors and this student has an opportunity to do so as well if they are creative and contribute ideas that are novel and industrially relevant. 

Skills that will be utilized and developed during this co-op: CAD design, free body diagrams, mechanical sketches, engineering drawings, stress analysis and FEA, Matlab, Python, data analysis, customer interaction, supplier interaction, documentation and presentation skills.

ESTAT has a preference for Juniors and Seniors, but can consider lower classman with exceptional hands on experience. . No one comes to ESTAT with experience in electroadhesives. It takes time to learn and become independent. ESTAT has a strong preference for students who are considering two 6 month rotations as this is the best way to ensure they can make lasting contributions.

**ESTAT partners with large corporations. We are exploring the possibility of a co-op exchange program in which co-ops learn about electroadhesives at ESTAT and then spend their second rotation helping our partners implement them in their systems and products.**

 

FAQ

What does a day at ESTAT look like?

It is easier to talk about what a week looks like. Every Monday, leadership agrees on priorities for the week and discusses upcoming milestones with the team. Each team member loads up their schedule for the week with the tasks needed to meet those milestones and discusses the support they need from other team mates. We hold Scrum where we all get on the same page on what is happening this week, take feedback, and make adjustments. The rest of the week is execution. Wednesdays are typically one-on-one meetings with managers where we discuss 1) progress towards weekly goals 2) present progress metrics 3) Discuss roadblocks 4) review the schedule for major projects that span more than a week. On Friday we have a quick team touch base where we all state what critical items need to be completed to stay on schedule and enjoy the weekend without worry. Throughout the week you may: test the newest electroadhesive clutch, assist with patent drafting, machine parts in our machine shop, perform statistical analysis, program a robotic test stand, perform test-to-failure, visit a supplier’s factory, draft CAD models, perform FEA, represent the company at a major conference, or sometimes even visit an Air Force Base for acceleration sled testing (January 2025). 

What does ESTAT look for in co-op students?

We believe our heart is in our work and passion is in the details. We look for self motivated students who love making things happen. We look for students with experience working with a team towards a goal who can share stories of trial and error, failure and victory. Working on the cutting edge also requires a good bit of technical know how. We expect our students to have mastered the basics of their field and be ready to learn more on the job. We have three company mantras: 1) we tell it as it is, not as we wish it to be  2) we let the data do the talking and drive our decisions with facts 3) we give credit and share blame. We look for these behaviors in all of our staff.

What kind of company is ESTAT?

ESTAT is a university startup that spun out of Carnegie Mellon right here in Pittsburgh. We have translated basic research on electro adhesives into useful robotics components such as clutches, brakes, locks and latches that are 10x lighter, 10x more compact and 1000x more efficient than traditional options. Our products promise to redefine what is possible in robotic design. We are at our hockey stick moment. This is an extremely exciting time for us as a company as we have been offering off-the-shelf products for sale for over a year and have recently started making sales in large enough volumes to allow us to transition some of our manufacturing to a roll-to-roll process. At ESTAT we sell: catalog electroadhesive clutches and brakes, custom clutches and brakes, and R&D services for large companies and the government. We move at a fast pace as sales ramp up and innovation continues.