About this role
Wheeled Platforms & Lifting Systems
Emeryville, California | Internship
Proposed base compensation. Final terms are subject to Astera’s hiring process.
Position Summary
Help us build and compare the systems that allow robots to move and adjust their working height. Under engineering mentorship, you will prototype wheeled mobile bases and lifting platforms, run hands-on experiments, and evaluate how different designs perform under realistic operating conditions.
Starting with our existing hoverboard hub motors and other motorized wheel hardware, you will help explore different wheel and drivetrain configurations. You will also help develop and evaluate lifting platforms, comparing commercially available mechanisms and custom prototypes. Your work will help the team select practical designs based on measured performance, reliability, cost, and ease of integration.
Core Responsibilities
- Evaluate wheeled platforms. Assemble and modify mobile bases using hoverboard hub motors, hub motor wheels, and conventional motor-driven wheel assemblies. Help design and fabricate chassis, mounts, and supporting components. Compare navigation performance of different systems.
- Compare wheel and drivetrain configurations. Develop repeatable tests to evaluate maneuverability, low-speed motion, traction, payload handling, power consumption, steerability and general performance across relevant floor surfaces.
- Prototype lifting platforms. Help assemble, adapt, and test different lifting mechanisms, such as scissor lifts and telescoping lifting columns. Integrate actuators, guides, mounts, and supporting structures.
- Evaluate lifting performance. Compare lifting range, speed, positioning repeatability, rigidity, and stability under defined loads. Investigate vibration, mechanical play, and other issues that affect reliable operation.
- Integrate controls and measurements. Configure motor controllers, connect position and speed feedback, and develop simple control and data-collection scripts. Help implement travel limits, homing, and coordinated motion under engineering supervision.
- Document comparisons and improve designs. Maintain CAD files, wiring diagrams, parts lists, and test records. Summarize tradeoffs and work with engineers to refine promising designs.
- Keep experimental hardware ready. Organize components, tools, and spares; maintain prototypes and test fixtures; and assist with equipment inspections, repairs, and experiment setup.
Required Qualifications
- Coursework, projects, or practical experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or a related discipline.
- Experience building and troubleshooting a physical system through coursework, research, student teams, or personal projects.
- Basic familiarity with mechanical assembly, electrical wiring, motors, and sensors.
- Interest in hands-on prototyping and systematic testing, including careful measurement and documentation.
- Comfort working with an engineering mentor and contributing to the upkeep of a shared robotics lab.
Preferred Experience
- CAD, 3D printing, machining, or fabrication of mechanical prototypes.
- BLDC motors, motor controllers, encoders, wheeled robots, or drivetrain design.
- Linear actuators, screw drives, scissor lifts, lifting columns, or other positioning mechanisms.
- Python, C/C++, microcontrollers, or basic feedback control.
- Building test fixtures, collecting experimental data, or comparing hardware designs.
Prior experience with every technology listed is not expected. We value curiosity, practical problem-solving, and an interest in understanding how different mechanical systems perform through real experiments.
Compensation
$40 per hour