Portfolio

AUTONOMOUS AG

I've been helping Autonomous Ag design a new stainless steel safety bumper system to respond to low speed autonomous tractor collisions. I modelled the linkage system in Onshape (3D CAD) to help show the mechanism's motion.  The system integrated radar sensors, proximity sensors, a low voltage junction box, cable and harness routing.  The system required a lot of local part sourcing and fabrication and assembly. It's been fun participating in the field installations and testing of autonomous driving retrofit kits as well as Field Days for Fendt tractor distributors (Wimmera Field Days, Horsham, VIC).

RAMPEY - rampey.com.au

A mobile robot for improving the safety, accessibility, and operational efficiency of trains.

I conceived, refined, pitched, and secured $50k of grant funding from LaunchVic to build a novel mobile robot.  Rampey was awarded the winner of the LaunchVic CivVic Labs Public Transport Access Challenge in June 2024.

ROBUST AI - Carter

Lead Mechatronic Design Engineer for Carter, the world’s first truly collaborative autonomous mobile robot. Key contributions:

• Designed force-sensitive handlebars enabling users to physically steer and override motion, allowing Carter to function as both an assistive cart and an autonomous robot.

• Prototyped and built two novel holonomic drivetrains for the next-gen model.

• Managed contractors and direct reports across mechanical, electrical, simulation, and control subsystems.

• Hackathon winner.

US Patent No. 12,204,350 B1 for "Autonomous Robot Double Drive Assembly" (Inventor: Jay S Davey, et al).

ZYMERGEN (now Ginkgo Bioworks)

Reconfigurable Automation CartsAt Zymergen, I designed and built Reconfigurable Automation Carts (RACs), pioneering a flexible, modular, and scalable factory system still in use today. As the founding engineer, I led the electro-mechanical design, prototyped the first units, and pitched the system to stakeholders and investors.

RACs are smart enclosures linked by a magnetic conveyor for microplate transport, integrating robotics and lab instrumentation (liquid handlers, plate readers, centrifuges, etc.). I programmed PLCs for robust automation, taught 6-axis robots, and designed custom end effectors and mechanical features like interlocked doors and instrument drawers.

As a mentor and tech lead, I grew a team of five Mechatronic engineers, expanding RAC capabilities. I managed timelines, product specs, and factory layouts, relocating the system seven times across five buildings in Emeryville, CA.

RACs have gone on to win design awards based on the architecture I originally created. These include:

International Design Award (IDA) 2024 https://www.idesignawards.com/winners/zoom.php?eid=9-54506-24 

Good Design: Medical 2024

https://gooddesignawards.org/project/ginkgo-bioworks-racs-system-2022/