Mechanical Engineer (Hands Team)

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics with the goal to address the labor shortage.

• Tackle the hardest unsolved problem in robotics hardware: human-like dexterous manipulation in the real world
• Design and develop mechanical architectures for humanoid robotic hands, including joints, structures, and tendon-driven actuation systems.
• Design/select and integrate tendons, actuators, routing hardware, transmission mechanisms and electronics in extremely space-constrained environments
• Prototype, test, and iterate hand designs to meet strength, dexterity, durability, and manufacturability goals
• Conduct stress, fatigue, and failure analysis
• Select materials for tendons and structures (hard and soft) based on a variety of criteria: strength, friction, flexibility, wear resistance.
• Evaluate materials for flexibility, grip, and wear resistance, including soft materials where applicable

• Shipped hard-to-build, hard-to-make-reliable products at industrial scale
• Self starter, high accountability and high sense of ownership of their work
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering principles and hands-on experience in robotics, automotive, or a related field
• Experience with complex assemblies and kinematic systems under tight spatial constraints
• Understanding of manufacturing processes (CNC machining, injection molding, stamping, additive manufacturing, etc.)
• Familiarity with control systems and mechatronics
• Hands-on prototyping experience
• Plus: Prior experience with tendon-driven systems and/or highly space-constrained moving mechanisms 
• Plus: Experience integrating sensors (force, position, tactile) into mechanical systems

• The annual compensation is expected to be between $165,000 - $190,000+. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.