Actuator Engineer (Hands Team)
Rhoda AI · Mountain View, CA · 1 mo ago
On-siteEngineering$175k–$280k/yrFull-time
What You'll Do
- Design compact motor-gearbox actuator units for the hand's fingers and wrist, from concept through production
- Architect miniaturized geartrains — especially planetary — that hit torque, backlash, and packaging targets at finger scale
- Size and select motors against torque, speed, power-draw, thermal, and efficiency requirements
- Build and run bench and dyno tests to characterize actuator performance, efficiency, and durability
- Partner with the structures engineer on packaging and thermal paths, and with the electrical engineer on drive and sensing integration
What You Bring
- Track record of designing and shipping gearboxes, especially planetary gearboxes
- Strong command of motor sizing and selection, including power draw, torque density, and efficiency analysis
Nice to Have
- Experience with gear design — tooth profiles, materials, and manufacturing methods
- Experience with tendon- or linkage-driven finger actuation
- Familiarity with backdrivability and transparency requirements for teleoperation