iRobot 2022

The iRobot Corporation is a leader in designing and developing consumer robots. These include a range of autonomous home vacuum cleaners (Roomba), floor moppers (Braava), and other autonomous cleaning devices. My interest in iRobot sparked due to my passion for mechanical design, especially in consumer products. While at iRobot, I primarily worked as a Mechanical Engineering Intern but I also worked with as many departments and engineers of various specialties as possible.

I was given the opportunity to work on the design and development of iRobot's "next generation" of consumer robots beyond the famous Roomba. I was responsible for designing and prototyping mounts for next generation navigation components as they go through their next prototype phase. I also worked with leading engineers to develop new mechanism concepts for the robot’s system that are planned to be implemented in the production product. Within the Systems Test division of the company, I was involved in the design of a universal testing equipment mount system for the next generation robot system. By the end of the internship, my work on this "next generation" robot advanced into a large prototype robot build and bring up.

As much as I would love to go into detail about my work on this robot, much of it is confidential as it is a secret, unreleased product.

I also took part in the disassembly, assembly, and programming of the next generation of cost-effective floor cleaning robot prototypes. This took countless hours of labor but it gave me the opportunity to become very familiar with robotic components, their design, and their purpose.

I participated in multiple interdisciplinary design challenges with other interns, where I gained valuable experience in collaborating with individuals from different backgrounds and specialties. 

• I was able to gain hands-on experience in the field of robotics and design engineering. 

• I learned how to use Creo PTC, a software that is widely used in the industry, and became proficient in it. 

• I also learned about design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA); which includes considerations that go into plastic injection molding (i.e. drafts, ribs, and round designs)

• I was trained in iRobot’s best practices for clearance and tolerance design as well (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, GD&T); which includes tolerance stacks.

• I collaborated with electrical engineers and gained experience in assembling and testing the electrical side of robotic components. I was also trained in overmold design, which is an important aspect of designing and manufacturing electronic components.

• I learned new 3D printing techniques and learned how to use new tools, including the ultrasonic knife. I also improved my soldering skills and learned about laser cutting.

• I learned about the critical role that documentation plays in ensuring the quality and reliability of robotic products. Proper documentation provides a clear record of the design decisions, material specifications, and testing results that were used in the development of a particular product. Documentation during my internship serves as a reference for future projects and design updates.