Michael A. Carvajal Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Boston, Ma, Us

Research Group: Robotics and Intelligent Vehicles Research Laboratory (RIVeR Lab)Principal Investigator: Taşkın PadırDesigned, built, and tested a modular robotic assistant tabletop that promotes omnidirectional manipulation of both rigid and soft payloads of arbitrary size and shape.Architected and prototyped a custom standalone thermal and stereo vision-enabled module for a SLaM-guided, foam-spraying mobile robot.Assisted the lab’s less-experienced researchers in creating or updating their robots’ CAD models and URDF files.Utilized the research space's electronics lab, machine shop, 3D printers, and laser cutters to fabricate iterative prototypes of various robotic systems and subassemblies.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Worked directly with the CEO to oversee the design, fabrication, assembly, testing, and debugging/reworking of a higher-volume, fully-automatic assembly machine for the company's flagship safety dental needle.Optimized the design and execution of a series of semi-automatic assembly fixtures used to build (assemble, glue, and UV-cure) safety dental needles in low volume.Led multiple client-based contract design projects from the beginning phase of fleshing out an idea to ending with a either a fully-functioning Alpha Prototype or a mass-manufactured product.Recruited and managed multiple subject matter experts (mechanical & electrical engineers, industrial designers, human factors specialists, etc.) to contribute to large-scale, sensor-driven, electromechanical, client-based projects.Met directly with clients to understand the problem they were trying to solve; composed project proposals featuring a phase-based timeline and estimates for labor and material costs.Worked inside mHUB’s in-house machine and fabrication shop, utilizing available technologies and methods including 3D printing (FDM, SLS, SLA, Objet), plastic and metal laser cutters, Tormach CNC mill/lathe, manual mill, routing tables (Carvey, ShopBot), thermoforming machine, hot-wire bending table, sheet metal bending/trimming.Gained valuable hands-on experience working with and incorporating various sensor technologies into complex electromechanical assemblies; proved out brainstorm-originated ideas for intricate mechanisms through iterative prototyping; built subsystem breadboards and combined proven designs into integrated assemblies for testing.Standardized the cloud-based file-storage management, custom property creation within SolidWorks, and the SW drawing templates.Contributed to the creation of a Quality Management System by learning from an expert QMS consultant; designed the word processing template for all QMS documents and formatted existing drafts to follow the new template.

Tempe, Arizona, Us

Ideated, sketched, and created 3D model solutions for a plethora of consumer product design challenges while working from home.Designed and deployed high-precision fixtures for component testing and inspection procedures in a medical lab setting.Collaborated with machine shops local to the greater Phoenix area, while working remotely from Chicago, to both ensure prototypes were made to specification and to troubleshoot any unforeseen issues that may have surfaced during the fabrication processes.Supported entrepreneurs and well-established companies alike in bringing their ideas from the concept stage into a physical reality.

CLIENT: ACTIVE IDEASStudied and improved the team’s latest proof-of-concept prototype of a suspended footrest device that allows its users to maintain a level of physical activity while in a seated position.Worked with a seasoned industrial designer to streamline the now-refined, one-off prototype design of the device to improve the user experience and aesthetic appeal of the device’s form.Assisted in building and testing the now-stylized, refined prototype in larger quantities so that the devices could be demoed to booth visitors at the 2015 Health 2.0 conference.Designed and built a one-off floor stand prototype, from which the footrest device could hang, that fit within the confines of a common desk's legroom, as an alternative method for suspending the device (instead of hanging it directly off a desk).CLIENT: MB LABSCreated proof-of-concept prototypes for local entrepreneurs and start-up companies who visited Catalyze Chicago looking for development help with their flagship product.Designed and built a motorized, Arduino-controlled prototype of a split-flap display unit that could selectively cycle through 50 characters; the one-off build served as a proof-of-concept for creating a larger-scale, web-connected (IoT) display consisting of 140 split-flap units capable of showing tweets in real-time.Designed and 3D-printed custom plastic enclosures to house all sorts of electronic hardware, complete with internal mounting bosses, lip/groove seams, and other injection-mold-friendly features.Figured out breadboard-level circuit designs via iterative testing and planning, soldered prototype circuit boards, and tested/de-bugged fully-assembled prototypes using oscilloscopes and coding software.CLIENT: MODOBAGCreated 3D CAD assembly of latest prototype build of the company’s flagship product, a motorized carry-on suitcase.Provided recommendations on which product features to update or add in order to enhance the overall user experience.

Worked on projects involving welded bent tubing, sheet metal, sand cast components, and Mil. Spec. coatings.Revamped design of out-dated medical transport equipment to operate with latest military litter design.Worked with a manufacturer to injection mold 1000 copies of a corrective plastic part designed to retrofit an existing product.Utilized top-down design in SolidWorks and Pro/Engineer to create configurable parts and assemblies.Managed OEMs, fabrication shops, and other service providers in producing finished prototype parts.Converted simplified part models into manufacturable geometries while maintaining original design intent as best as possible.

La Verpilliere | Chicago , Fr

Developed a wide variety of medical devices as part of a multi-disciplinary problem-solving team.Generated creative solutions to product challenges at hand during in-house brainstorming sessions.Designed and built low-fidelity first-order breadboards in the lab to test feasibility of initial concepts.Presented test results to clients and gave recommendations on how to move forward with projects.Built functioning Alpha prototypes based off master-driven 3D CAD models created in SolidWorks & Pro/Engineer.

CLIENT: EIDOSMEDWorked with surgeons to extend the start-up company's product line of bone measurement devices.Discussed and solved manufacturing design issues with medical device manufacturers overseas.Handled incoming and outgoing shipments of stock inventory and performed random sample inspections.CLIENT: ACTIVE IDEASCo-developed an innovative concept chair that forces users to stay minimally active while seated.Built and tested a proof-of-concept prototype which was presented at NEOCON 2010 in Chicago.CLIENT: OPTIMAL DESIGNWorked on developing consumer products, utilizing Pro/Engineer and 3D printing equipment to create rapid prototypes used for performance tests as well as user experience trials.Performed detailed research on sealing methods to possibly be used in a product's manufacturing. Interacted with relevant manufacturers and arranged for sample parts to be made and tested.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Trained engineers and product designers in using Pro/Engineer and SolidWorks to create robust models and drawings.Learned how to utilize PTC add-ons such as Pro/Mechanism and Pro/Mechanica.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, Us

Research Group: Smart CitiesPrincipal Investigator: William J. MitchellEvaluated and redesigned the Wheel-Robot integration for the folding MIT CityCar project.Improved the maneuvering performance of a half-scale prototype of the innovative vehicle.

Fort Collins, Co, Us

Carried out endurance testing on existing slip clutch designs.Reverse-engineered a competitor's torque-limiting product for R&D purposes.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, Us

Research Group: Tangible MediaPrincipal Investigator: Hiroshi IshiiSimplified and refined the structural design of a functional prototype of a novel, interactive audio/visual gadget.Improved the industrial and ergonomic design of the device to hide its molding seams and to increase flexibility.Designed, modeled, and 3D-printed a custom, 2-part mold that was used to encapsulate the device’s embedded electronics.

Cambridge, Ma, Us

2.007 DESIGN & MANUFACTURING I:Guided younger Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students as they each designed and manufactured a motorized robot vehicle during the school term.Drew from personal design experience when providing students with alternative fabrication strategies and decision-making throughout their build process.

Parsippany, Nj, Us

Employed AutoCAD to create P&ID drawings of the manufacturing plant.Updated existing and created new layout drawings of the facilities.Field-verified new plant drawings created by professional, contract engineers.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mechanical Engineering

Master Of Science - Ms, Robotics