Mechanical Design Engineer, Tactile Sensing

Mind Robotics; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mind Robotics in Palo Alto is seeking an experienced mechanical engineer to design and develop mechanical components for tactile sensors embedded in robotic systems. You will oversee the tactile sensor stack, develop materials, and build prototypes while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in electromechanical systems, strong intuition in materials, and be proficient in CAD tools like SolidWorks. This role offers an opportunity to work on innovative robotic technology in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in building complex electromechanical systems.
• Direct experience with tactile sensing modalities.
• Hands-on experience with elastomers, casting, and molding.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and motivated to understand the system.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components for robotic sensors.
• Own the tactile sensor stack mechanically.
• Develop and tune elastomer/compliant materials.
• Rapidly build, test, and iterate prototypes.
• Perform analyses to validate sensor performance.

Skills

Mechanical intuition

Electromechanical systems

Tactile sensing modality

Materials intuition with elastomers

Rapid prototyping techniques

Proficient in SolidWorks

Problem-solving skills

Experience with volume processes

Engineering curiosity

Education

PhD or research experience in related fields

Tools

SolidWorks

Catia

Job description

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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Bonus

• 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.