Simplehuman
Mechanical Engineering Intern
June 2017 - August 2017
Research & Development Intern
June 2016 - August 2016
Simplehuman designs products to increase the ease of daily tasks, from interacting with trashcans and soap dispensers to checking your makeup in various lighting conditions. As the mechanical engineering intern, I was tasked with creating test jigs to evaluate existing and new designs for some of these products, such as step trash cans, sensor cans, sensor soap pumps, and sensor mirrors. Additionally, I contributed to the component design of new products, proposing ideas for automatic disengaging clutches, water-resistant tactile button covers, and low-profile hinges.
As the R&D intern the previous year, I developed a prototype for a newly proposed product, taking the idea from a preliminary idea to a proof-of-concept. While in search of an air flow control device, I designed and prototyped a mechanism with a lower weight, smaller profile, and lower cost than those on the market.
Due to the confidential nature of these projects, I am unable to discuss them in further detail. Please contact me if you have questions.
This is a robotic step testing jig I designed to simulate the variables that can affect how the step pedal on a trashcan is pressed, such as the angle, force, and material of the foot pressing down. This allowed us to benchmark the performance of current trash can feet and test new designs for comparison.
I created various devices to test modifications of existing designs, such as the button testers (left) and the gear-driven pump simulator (right). I designed these modular, adjustable button testers to evaluate the feel of tactile buttons and the button covers, which led to the modification of an existing product and are intended to be easily adaptable for future product testing. The gear-driven pump simulator was intended to prove the feasibility of this pump technology and compare it to the existing reciprocating piston design.