About Asimov
Asimov is Menlo's flagship open source humanoid robotics initiative. We are building every layer of the stack, from precision mechanical structures, injection molded plastics, and die cast components to actuators, sensors, control hardware, firmware, and AI.
The Role
As a Mechanical Engineer, you will own the conception, CAD modeling, and industrialization of humanoid components across the full body. You will translate early concepts into robust, production ready designs, guide prototype builds, and partner with suppliers to ramp tooling and volume manufacturing. This is a high ownership role where your design decisions will directly determine how Asimov moves, holds up, and scales.
What You'll Do
- Develop detailed 3D part and assembly models across plastics, sheet metal, die cast, and composite materials in CATIA or equivalent CAD tools.
- Drive rapid prototyping by overseeing 3D printing, CNC machining, and initial fit check assemblies, iterating quickly from concept to physical hardware.
- Perform tolerance studies, FEA, and kinematic simulations to validate stiffness, strength, and lifetime requirements across joints and structural members.
- Create accurate production drawings with GD&T annotations and critical inspection call outs for manufacturing and QA handoff.
- Conduct DFM reviews with contract manufacturers and tooling partners, refining designs for cost, cycle time, and quality at low to medium volume.
- Work alongside electrical, firmware, and validation teams to integrate mechanical systems with sensors, wiring harnesses, and PCBA enclosures.
- Define mechanical test protocols, analyze failure modes, and iterate designs based on test data and reliability metrics.
- Contribute to Menlo's open source design efforts, including CAD releases, manufacturing documentation, and build guides for the broader robotics community.
What You'll Bring
- 3 or more years of hands on mechanical design experience for high complexity electromechanical products.
- Expert proficiency in CATIA V5/V6, with strong ability to produce both detailed parts and multibody assemblies.
- Proven track record with plastic injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, and die casting processes.
- Solid understanding of GD&T and the ability to produce 2D engineering drawings for manufacturing and QA.
- Experience running FEA simulations across stress, thermal, and modal analyses, and interpreting results to inform design decisions.
- Ability to work within aggressive cost and weight constraints, making principled tradeoffs without sacrificing reliability.
- Strong communication skills to drive alignment across suppliers, cross disciplinary engineers, and leadership.
Bonus Points
- Experience with bipedal or humanoid robot hardware, legged locomotion platforms, or high DOF manipulators.
- Familiarity with parallel mechanisms and non standard joint configurations such as RSU ankle designs or parallel actuation.
- Knowledge of plastics engineering including material selection, shrinkage factors, and mechanical property optimization.
- Scripting or automation experience in Python to streamline CAD workflows and data analysis.
- Familiarity with MATLAB for system level modeling and tolerance stack ups.
- Hands on background with rapid iteration prototyping tools including 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills.
- Prior involvement in robotics or wearable systems where mechanical tolerances and ergonomics are critical.
- Familiarity with CAN bus, motor controllers, and how mechanical design choices affect firmware and control integration.
- Familiarity with sim to real workflows and how hardware decisions affect locomotion policy training and transfer.
Why Join Menlo?
You’ll be part of a tight-knit team defining the next generation of humanoid robots. With genuine ownership of system architecture and the freedom to innovate, you’ll see your designs come to life in real-world deployments. If you thrive in fast-paced, open-collaborative environments, let’s build the future of robotics together.
