Internship for Credit

Interning with Titan Vans

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Interning with Titan Vans Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/08/2022 - 00:00

Nolan Chinn , Helen Do , Lana Pivarnik

Nolan Chinn, Helen Do, and Lana Pivarnik are undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with Titan DIY Kits during summer 2022.

Nolan, Helen, and Lana on the job at Titan Vans

Where did you intern and what kinds of projects did you work on?

Nolan: Titan Vans is a camper van conversion company located in Boulder, Colorado that does in-house conversions and sells DIY kits.

Helen: Our biggest project for the summer was the Van-in-a-Box. The ultimate goal is to convert the available models Titan Vans currently builds into a complete DIY set, which would include overhead cabinets, wheel-well cabinets, kitchen galleys, beds, and other various accessories. While designing, we had to keep in mind production costs, affordability to the consumer, ease of installation, quality and longevity of materials and design, and aesthetic appeal.

Lana: Multiple times a summer, Titan Vans attends trade shows and uses kerf walls, which are similar to pegboards, to display information about the company. We created a display of the joinery Titan uses, including dados, rabbets, and half rabbets, on a miniature cabinet.

Was there a challenge you encountered that let you use your engineering skills in a new way?

Nolan: I used a lot of existing CAD knowledge from MCEN 1025, but applied it differently because I was working with wood joinery and sheet metal. With the wood joinery, I had to always think about the strongest way to create the joint while also optimizing my design for the manufacturing process.

Helen: Statics and Solid Mechanics explored different types of forces and how they distribute across a surface. This was important to understand what direction fasteners and loads place. That knowledge helped me analyze whether my designs were viable.

Lana: A side project we worked on was to modify a vacuum attachment to collect more sawdust with each pass. I designed a vacuum head, imported it into a CAD program, and performed flow analysis on it to see if the larger size would impact the sucking capabilities. The project was paused while we worked on the Van-in-a-Box, but it was a good opportunity to use CAD in a new way.

How did what you learned look different than the way you learn engineering in class?

Helen: The first assignment after being shown around was to assemble our own desks. That was a fun introduction and highlighted the project we were going to work on: simple yet sturdy furniture that would be easy to self-assemble. We were also asked to reverse engineer various components the company commonly uses, which helped us learn about their materials and how best to model them using CAD. New CAD skills I learned over the summer included using the combine tool, parametric modeling, and creating a CAM file that the CNC machine could use.

Nolan: It was great to be a part of the new product development process within a small company like Titan because they were very open to new ideas. Most of my time was spent at a desk doing CAD, which I enjoy, but the hands-on prototyping was even more exciting because I got to see the designs I worked on come to life. Physically building the prototypes also put me in the shoes of the consumer which made it easy to see how our designs could be improved.

Lana: I feel like I have developed solid skills in CAD especially, but I have also learned so much about other aspects of running a business and working on an engineering project. Having large amounts of freedom has allowed me to explore aspects of building vans that are not directly related to my task but that have helped me to understand how different factors impact my designs. After researching countless hinges, fasteners, and components, I feel much more confident in my working knowledge of mechanical design.

Nolan Chinn, Helen Do, and Lana Pivarnik are undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with Titan DIY Kits during summer 2022.

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Interning with EveryDropMeters

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 18:41:15 +0000

Interning with EveryDropMeters Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/09/2022 - 12:41

Daniel Alzamora , Kendall Shepherd

Daniel Alzamora and Kendall Shepherd are undergraduate students in mechanical engineering. They interned with EveryDropMeters during summer 2022.

Daniel Alzamora

Kendall Shepherd

Where did you intern and what was exciting for you about that opportunity?

Daniel: We interned at EveryDropMeters, a startup company focused on making fluid vortex technology affordable for use in irrigation systems. This technology has the advantage of requiring low power and low maintenance as well as high accuracy for the price range. Because EveryDrop is a startup, I got to work on a wide variety of engineering projects that improved every part of my ability as a mechanical engineer.

Kendall: This opportunity was exciting for me because it was a very small company so I got to work on lots of very different and unique projects. I worked on typical engineering tasks like CAD and drawings, but also got to work on things like graphic design.

What kinds of projects have you had a chance to work on over the summer?

Kendall: We’ve been working with our supervisor on two new flow meter models. One is a larger version of the company’s existing meter, which allows for more water flow and larger scale/industrial uses. We got to work on drawing, troubleshooting, and designing a lid for the new meter. We’re also working on a new wireless model. We’ve gotten to test its connectivity and have been working on optimizing the assembly process.

Was there a challenge you encountered that really pushed your engineering skills?

Daniel: The nature of working for a startup is working with tight budgets and that challenge can help drive innovation. We had to incorporate or repurpose existing parts into new designs and modifications and it pushed us to come up with creative solutions. Knowing when to spend money on a part was also a crucial skill, as I feel I can make a stronger argument now when a new design is needed.

Did you have any "aha!" moments when you realized that you could use an equation or skill you'd learned in class?

Daniel: An exciting moment at the internship was learning about the vortex technology itself and understanding the physical and mathematical reasoning behind it, because I’d just taken fluid mechanics. We also got to use fluid mechanics when designing the new meter which has a larger flow area. I was able to apply equations from my textbook to find the correct sensor depth to collect accurate data using the new meter.

What was it like to work at a start-up? Were there any unique challenges or opportunities that came with being part of a new company?

Kendall: Adaptability is important when you’re working with a start-up. Projects and tasks tend to suddenly need to be done, but can be dropped or changed just as quickly. Since there aren’t that many people working at the company, we also had to be ready to tackle a plethora of jobs. I got to do engineering tasks like CAD design and drawings and even fluid dynamics. I also got to do graphic design for a promotional email, ship products out, and review drafts of product manuals.

Daniel Alzamora and Kendall Shepherd are undergraduate students in mechanical engineering. They interned with EveryDropMeters during summer 2022.

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Interning with Artimus Robotics

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Interning with Artimus Robotics Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/16/2022 - 00:00

Andrew Brown , Evan Mossel

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel are undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with Artimus Robotics during summer 2021.

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel

Evan, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you both interned?

Evan Mossel: Artimus Robotics was founded out of Christoph Keplinger’s lab in 2018. It’s built around HASEL actuator technology, which uses electrostatic forces to create artificial muscles with high energy density and soft touch capabilities. The muscles are part of a new industry that’s using material science to bring smarter, more life-like robotics to market. As a result of external interest in the new product, they were encouraged to take their company as far as it could go.

Artimus currently sells two standardized products: an expansion development kit and a contraction development kit. They also work directly with clients on products that require unique research and development.

Andrew, what was your role as an intern with Artimus Robotics?

Andrew Brown: My role as a Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Intern at Artimus Robotics was shaped around my interests and the needs of the company. Through one of Artimus’s main grant proposals, NASA showed interest in the self-sensing capabilities of the HASEL actuators. My internship focused on supporting that work by creating programs in Matlab that can demonstrate the sensors’ self-sensing capabilities and the applications of that capability. For example, the sensors could detect failure and excess friction when the actuator has contacted another object or detect if the actuator will fail in the near future.

The project took on a few different forms as I tested different methods. I started with LabView, which had problems with efficiency. I then moved to Python, but ran into a roadblock due to package bugs. Then I moved to Matlab, which had shown the most promise through the use of the Matlab App Designer, and which I used to create a deployable app. There have been many smaller projects within this larger project, such as gathering data for the creation of actuator calibration curves where I get to deploy my programs.

Evan, your role was to focus on the company’s website redesign. What did this entail?

Evan Mossel: The redesign required producing detailed and functional SolidWorks models as well as dimensioned and marketing drawings. The thought process behind this redesign was to be completely transparent about all standard products that Artimus offers. The customer can see photos and detailed dimensions of the products and can download the models I created to input them into their own SolidWorks assemblies for a mockup of their product.

I quickly realized that modelling soft-body electronics was difficult in a program that relied on block or surface based models. The project pushed me to develop familiarity with SolidWorks equations and multi-body modelling, which allowed me to complete the project while also expanding my modelling skills. The end result was a website that looks both professional and complete, allowing customers to interface with my models and dimensioned drawings and to download them for their own use.

Andrew, how did this internship experience add to your engineering education?

Andrew Brown: This internship taught me a lot that I could never have learned through class experience. I learned a ton each day through my mistakes and got to do my best work on my projects, which contrasts with school where mistakes result in lost points and I might only have time to do the bare minimum. I also got to collaborate directly with people who know more than me every day. This is not an experience you can get in the classroom and it is priceless.

I was able to learn what I had planned to do over the summer - circuitry and programming for systems. I was able to get into the weeds of signal processing using programming tools, which is what I set out to learn from the beginning.

Evan, what was the most rewarding part of the internship?

Evan Mossel: The internship was an incredibly fulfilling and unique experience. The start up aspect revealed an entire new set of opportunities that I would never have learned about in a larger company. I was able to see my work directly benefit the company, aid in researching and mockup creation for both government and industry partners, and much more. When I initially received the email for this program, I was unsure of what it was and almost did not apply. However, I am very happy I put myself out there as the internship built up my skill set, gave me real world engineering experience and allowed me to make connections that will last a lifetime. I learned to never be hesitant to pursue an opportunity, even if it does not appear to be a perfect match.

If you asked me where I saw myself as an intern, a robotics company would probably not have been mentioned. After this experience, that has certainly changed. The experience has taught me that there is always much more nuance and complexity to a company’s work than simply the name, therefore I should always look deeper and see where my value may lie.

Andrew Brown and Evan Mossel are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned at Artimus Robotics during summer 2021.

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Interning with ShoeSense

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 17:41:32 +0000

Interning with ShoeSense Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/14/2022 - 10:41

John Cunningham

John Cunningham is an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. He interned with ShoeSense during summer 2021.

John Cunningham

Can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

ShoeSense is a startup company that began when its CEO, Connor Winter, was a mechanical engineering undergraduate at CU Boulder. The company’s idea is to create an application that is paired with a wearable sensor. The app can provide advice on what type of running shoes to wear, insight into the user's running form and exercises that will help improve their form.

What was your role as an intern with ShoeSense?

The majority of my time was spent collecting and analyzing data. I wrote and executed a lot of test plans with the sensor on our treadmill. Analyzing the data on Matlab was a huge part of my job, as I was trying to calculate key running metrics using just the sensor data. We had access to an industry standard testing system, so I could verify if my calculations were accurate by comparing them to those test results.

What was the most unique aspect of the internship?

I had a lot of freedom in my role, which is something quite unique. I was not simply told tasks to complete. Rather, I was allowed to create my own test plans and execute them. The amount of trust and responsibility given to me was unique and one of my favorite parts of the experience.

What advice do you have for future interns?

Do not be afraid of feeling like you do not know enough. I had this same feeling on the first day of my internship, but I was impressed with how much I was actually capable of. If you are not capable of doing something, ask for help or advice. That is always okay and expected, especially in an internship role. It is all about learning!

John Cunningham is an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. He interned with ShoeSense during summer 2021.

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Interning with unspun

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:46:09 +0000

Interning with unspun Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/07/2022 - 09:46

Ella McQuaid

Ella McQuaid is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She interned with unspun during summer 2021.

Ella McQuaid

Can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Unspun is a robotics and digital apparel company that makes on-demand, custom jeans by scanning the customer’s body and generating a virtual avatar as a reference for the garment pattern. The company focuses on reducing waste, with the goal of decreasing global carbon emissions by one percent.

What was your role as an intern with unspun?

My primary project at unspun was to modify the machine’s pre-existing fabric collection system into one that better fit unspun’s needs. I started the project by meeting with one of my mentors at unspun to go over the current system and talk about the issues the testing team wanted to address. After brainstorming possible solutions and making rough SolidWorks models, I presented several ideas to the rest of the team. Their feedback and ideas helped me choose a design to move forward with. I built a prototype that did not work initially, but when I asked for advice from the mechanical team, they gave me some great ideas that helped me get to a working model.

How will this internship impact your future in mechanical engineering?

One of the main things I originally hoped to gain through this internship was hands-on experience that I felt I missed out on during the year of remote classes. At unspun, I got to reconnect with all the aspects of engineering that I really enjoyed in previous semesters. Getting to work on a machine, design, prototype, and contribute to a mission that really resonates with me was incredibly encouraging. I saw what it means to be an engineer in a professional capacity which helped me gain confidence in my future.

What are the biggest takeaways from this internship?

The most rewarding and interesting part of this internship was getting to meet everyone at unspun and observe how a startup tech company works from the inside. I tried to absorb all the advice I was given – how professional engineers work, communicate and approach problems, and how the different teams in a small company all work together. Another rewarding experience was seeing something I built working in the way I imagined and producing results that I felt proud of. It was exciting to leave something behind that could continue being used once I left the company.

To other students considering this program, especially those who have not done other internships, I would like to say that you do not know what It is going to be like to work as an engineer just from school. This is an extremely valuable experience for determining your future path.

Ella McQuaid is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She interned with unspun during summer 2021.

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An inside look: Interning with CleanRobotics

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:14:53 +0000

An inside look: Interning with CleanRobotics Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/31/2022 - 10:14

David Betz , Abby Browne

David Betz and Abby Browne

David Betz and Abby Browne are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with CleanRobotics during summer 2021.

Abby, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Abby Browne: CleanRobotics is a robotics company that has designed a flagship product called the TrashBot. A significant issue with the recycling process is that it is difficult for people to remember the many confusing rules surrounding recycling. This causes people to incorrectly deposit landfill material into recycling bins, potentially contaminating properly recycled material. The TrashBot detects and sorts recyclables from landfill materials using a combination of robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision. Cloud connectivity allows units to learn from each other and become more intelligent over time and data from the sensors can be sent to a dashboard that allows the client to easily monitor bin fullness and run waste audits.

David, what was your role as an intern with CleanRobotics?

David Betz: Our primary role as Mechanical Engineering Interns was to improve the design of the newest model of the CleanRobotics TrashBot ZeroTM. That involved addressing common failure points of the existing product and redesigning the systems to make them more robust. We also worked to improve the manufacturability of the TrashBot ZeroTM by redesigning parts that are difficult to fabricate and providing full step-by-step documentation of the manufacturing process.

In addition to this main project, we helped develop the next generation TrashBotTM from the ground up. The redesign of the TrashBot ZeroTM gave us experience with formal design reviews. It also provided an opportunity to combine creativity with the mechanical engineering tools that we’d learned in school and throughout the rest of the internship.

David, what skills did you learn that will help you succeed as a mechanical engineer?

David Betz: For the current TrashBot model, all of the design projects that I worked on focused primarily on design for manufacture and included cost analysis. I was also tasked with solving specific problems involving sustainability, including designing a reusable chamber liner made from recyclable plastic.

The new TrashBot model project gave me a good introduction to product design. I was able to create a new product by using what I had learned from working on the existing TrashBot models. Additionally, redesigning the door mechanism for this project introduced me to robotic system design, primarily through the use of linear actuation mechanisms. The fabrication of TrashBot units made me more comfortable using power tools such as angle grinders, bench-top grinders, impact and hammer drills, rivet guns, and sheet metal finishing tools.

Abby, what are your biggest takeaways from the summer and what advice would you have for a student starting their first internship?

Abby Browne: I think it was very helpful that we had to build the robot from start to finish. That gave me the foundational knowledge I needed to take on the special design projects and come up with useful solutions. I also appreciated the design projects that we worked on. Though they were intimidating at first, I got used to the process as time went on and grew to enjoy the challenges they presented. I found it very helpful when my supervisor gave me topics to research that would help me with the next day’s tasks. Going into projects with background information allowed me to perform more efficiently and do better work.

Reflecting back on the summer, the most rewarding part of my internship experience was the confidence and direction I have gained as an engineer. I came into the internship with very little confidence in my abilities. However, as I worked through the internship, I learned so many things that gave me confidence for Senior Design and beyond. I want to tell next year’s students that this is a great learning experience no matter what level you come in at - as long as you are willing to learn.

David Betz and Abby Browne are undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering. They interned with CleanRobotics during summer 2021 through the department's Internship-for-Credit Program. Learn more about the program and how to get involved.

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An inside look: Interning with FieldLine Inc.

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:35:06 +0000

An inside look: Interning with FieldLine Inc. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/24/2022 - 10:35

Julia Beattie , Bennett Verderame

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame are undergraduates in mechanical engineering. They interned at FieldLine Inc. during summer 2021.

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame

Julia, can you tell us a little bit about the company where you interned?

Julia Beattie: FieldLine Inc. is a small engineering company located in Boulder, Colorado. Its primary product is a sensor that can detect miniscule changes in a magnetic field. There are many applications to this technology, but FieldLine’s specialty is the HEDscan or MEG helmet, which is a wearable helmet containing dozens of sensors that can be used to measure magnetic brain signals. Hospitals and medical researchers can use this in studying and treating brain conditions.

Bennett, what was your role as interns with FieldLine Inc?

Bennett Verderame: Our main project was to design and prototype a chair the company could use for their brain scanning system. We researched chairs used in medical settings by going in-person to hospitals and other centers, buying chairs off online advertising sites to examine them hands-on, and conducting tests with the company’s other employees to determine the most comfortable sitting position.

When we got to the design phase, we started with a generic chair design that utilized the angles we determined were comfortable and stress tested different variations in Fusion 360. Then, we had brainstorming sessions where we sat down with our sketchbooks and pitched different aesthetic ideas to each other until we decided on one we liked. From there we prototyped our design using a single sheet of plywood and fasteners. We went through multiple iterations and were able to work our way to a proof of concept.

The final steps for the project were to figure out how to get the chair manufactured and how to attach the helmet onto the chair. We helped a little with this, but it was mainly the job of our supervisors to take over for this final stage.

HEDscan, the brain scanning system Beattie and Verderame were developing a chair for.

Julia, what was the most challenging part of your main project?

Julia Beattie: One of the most challenging parts of our project was figuring out a way for the chair to adjust to accommodate different heights. This was brought up only a few days into the internship, and design adjustments continued all the way until the final week. We cycled through multiple iterations before deciding on a satisfactory final design.

Bennett, what technical skills did you gain during the internship?

Bennett Verderame: We gained a lot of experience modeling in Fusion 360, with our supervisor helping us to create drawings that better communicate with manufacturers. Another skill we gained is woodworking. I went from having never built something life-size with wood to building a sturdy chair. Through working on the height adjustment mechanism for our chair, we learned about component design and how different parts fit into moving mechanisms. We also gained 3D printing skills, as we used the MakerBot software to set up and print parts. Lastly, we began to learn the skill of design for manufacturability. We went through multiple iterations of the chair design due to having to take out certain features that were not manufacturable and add in ones that were.

What was the most rewarding part of your internship and what advice would you have for a student starting their first internship?

Julia Beattie: It is very rewarding to know that I helped develop a product that could potentially be used in hospitals and research centers around the world. I would encourage incoming interns to ask as many questions as possible. Take advantage of the many smart people you are working with and the learning opportunities given to you.

Bennett Verderame: The most rewarding part of the internship was that we had a definite impact. Even if the company does not end up using our exact chair design down to each nut and bolt, the research Julia and I did will influence what they decide to use for their MEG system. Something I would advise for future students in the program is to take advantage of the opportunity to gain insight from everyone more experienced than you. Whenever there was something I wasn’t sure how to do, or even some advanced scientific topic relating to our product I was just curious about, I was always able to find great information just by asking.

Julia Beattie and Bennett Verderame are undergraduates in mechanical engineering. They interned with FieldLine Inc. during summer 2021.

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