Role Outline
How do you make a humanoid robot more human? We’re working on it - come join us for the ride!
At Engineered Arts we bring a very human focus to the cutting edge of robotics technology and build the most engaging humanoid robots in the world.
We’re looking for a multi-talented Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join our small, highly skilled team in building the future of human-robot interaction.
You will be part of a fast paced development environment, working across designs from concept to product.
From actuators and mechanisms to silicone skins, kinematic calculation to accelerated testing, prototyping to production, your role will touch all facets of our hardware design.
We’re looking for versatile engineers that can turn their hand to anything - 3D parametric design, mesh modelling, actuation design, complex electromechanical integration - and generally find ingenious solutions to unusual problems.
We need people with vision, intuition, pragmatism and real-world experience of design, build, test and ship. If you’re interested in bringing humanity to technology and thrive on puzzles and challenges, let’s talk.
Main Responsibilities
- Design mechanical components and subsystems for humanoid robots, including novel and intricate mechanisms, actuation solutions and aesthetic shells and skins
- Take designs through all stages of lifecycle, including concept, prototype, testing, iteration, production and maintenance
- Balance design constraints across aesthetics, performance, durability, availability and manufacturability
- Design for the real word - identify materials and manufacturing processes that balance strength, weight, cost, and scalability to ensure both prototype feasibility and production readiness
- Collaborate with both in-house and external manufacturing teams for prototype and production across technologies including additive manufacturing, CNC machining and various casting and moulding techniques
- Solve problems without limits - no matter whether it’s a tricky new design, a reliability issue in the field or a need for improving our internal design data tooling, you roll up your sleeves and find effective and efficient solutions
- Collaborate closely with our Electronics and Software engineering teams to integrate mechanical systems with sensing, actuation, control, and embedded hardware architectures
- Validate and improve the real-world performance and reliability of designs by designing and implementing relevant testing, supported where necessary by analysis and calculation
- Generate and maintain detailed engineering documentation, including production drawings (GD&T), assembly documentation, tolerance analyses, specifications and bills of materials
- Contribute to product compliance as required, including risk assessments, material safety, functional safety and supporting documentation to meet applicable regulatory and operational safety standards
Challenges
Small team, big ambitions: We’re a small team working at the very cutting edge of technology in a high-growth sector. We rely on our highly-skilled professionals to jump in wherever needed to get things done. Expect a fast paced, agile environment with endless and varied challenges!
Humanoid fidelity: Working on humanoid robots gives some interesting and unusual design constraints. Achieving the quality of interaction and performance we aim for places non-negotiable constraints on aesthetic, geometric and kinematic properties of the products, resulting in interesting design puzzles to solve.
Cross-Functional Integration and Interfacing: Ensuring seamless, rigorous integration of complex mechanical, electrical and software subsystems, optimizing for cabling, sensors, and motor control.
Scalability and Production Transition: Moving designs rapidly from prototypes to robust, cost-effective and scalable manufacturing processes, supporting volume production growth.
Fast-Paced, Multi-Disciplinary Environment: Thriving in a lean, fast-moving company, requiring the ability to own projects end-to-end, rapidly iterate, and adapt to evolving processes and tight deadlines.
Qualifications, Knowledge, Key Skills and Experience
Essential
- Strong real-world experience in mechanical design
- Advanced proficiency in 3D parametric CAD (preferably Autodesk Inventor)
- Solid understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis
- Strong background in mechanism design, linkages, bearings, power transmission, and actuator integration
- Hands-on prototyping experience
- Experience with a range of materials from engineering essentials (various grades of aluminum, steel, brass, bronze, acetal etc) to aesthetic and finishing options (polyurethane, silicone etc.)
- Experience designing for manufacturability (DFM) and assembly (DFA)
- Ability to work cross-functionally with electrical and controls teams to integrate motors, sensors, wiring, and embedded systems
- Proven ability to take hardware from concept through validation and into production
Desirable
- Direct experience developing legged or humanoid robotic systems
- Experience in design combining the aesthetic and the functional (e.g. animatronics, special effects)
- Experience designing bespoke actuators, transmission mechanisms, and complex mechanisms and joints
- Knowledge of thermal management for compact electromechanical assemblies
- Familiarity with motion control systems and basic control theory
- Understanding of safety standards for robotic systems
- Startup experience or experience in fast-paced hardware development environments
- Experience transitioning from prototype to volume manufacturing
- Experience with organic mesh modelling (Blender, Z-Brush)
About Engineered Arts
Engineered Arts is the leading manufacturer of full-size humanoid robots used for entertainment, education and communication. With 20 years of hardware and software development, our robots have been sold in over 30 countries worldwide with customers such as NASA, PwC, Meta and many more.
Our Ameca robot is well known as ‘the face of AI’ and a social media viral success, taking advantage of the generative AI craze. Along with our ultra-realistic Mesmer range of animated figures our robots continue to surprise and excite visitors at museums, theme parks, visitor attractions and trade shows as well as aid leading universities with AI and robotics research. Our robots are poised to break into the future mega-expansion service robot segment, with applications such as front of house, receptions, check-in desks, information points and PoS.
We are a team of dedicated engineers and creatives striving to develop the very best experiences for our customers. Our internal motto is ‘Be Wow’, everything we do is fun, entertaining or surprising to encounter. We always push the boundaries of what is possible in humanoid robotics, researching and developing new systems and techniques to further their appeal. We explore and challenge the human perception of robots as well as the fear and discomfort and the excitement and joy life-like mechanical humanoids present.
