People

(2024-Present) Task Lead, Advanced End Effector Concepts for NASA and Reimbursable Sponsors (JPL Robotics internal link).

• Independent research and development task to understand the technical and programmatic landscape of robot tool exchange capabilities for extreme and contamination rich environments, primarily targeting the lunar surface, and propose advanced and novel approaches, concepts, designs, and methods to closing the gap for NASA and non-NASA sponsors.

(2024-Present) Robotic Arm Systems Engineer, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) (Curiosity Rover)

• Flight downlink operations, anomaly resolution, ground testing, and overall flight robotic arm health and safety responsibility for Curiosity's ongoing extended surface mission.

(2023-2024) Robotic Systems Engineer, On-Orbit Assembly Testbed Systems (OATS), Capture, Containment, and Return System (CCRS), Mars Sample Return (MSR)

• Lead systems engineer for the MSR-CCRS subsystem tasked with flight V&V testbed systems architecture, planning, design, and delivery for all JPL CCRS flight robotic subsystems. Mechanical, electrical, software, and operations architecture. System requirements derivation and ownership, analysis, and V&V. Technical direction and mentorship to multiple teams.

(2021-2023) Testbeds Lead, Robotic Transfer Assembly System (RTAS), Capture, Containment, and Return System (CCRS), Mars Sample Return (MSR)

• Lead systems engineer the Testbeds Team within the Robotic Transfer Assembly System (RTAS) flight robotic subsystem. Flight V&V testbed systems architecture, planning, design, and delivery. Mechanical, electrical, software, and operations architecture. System requirements derivation and ownership, analysis, and V&V. Multi-disciplinary technical direction.

(2018-2021) Test Lead, Robotics Systems Engineer, Adaptive Caching Assembly (ACA), Mars 2020 Sampling & Caching Subsystem (SCS)

• Test Lead for Flight Model ACA & Sampling Handling Arm (SHA) V&V.
• Robotics V&V Team. ACA and Sample Handling Arm (SHA) operations development and testing, early Bit Exchange testing, SHA life testing, Engineering Model risk reduction test ownership.

(2018) Mechanical Engineer, Ice-Anchoring End Effector, IceWorm

• Mechanical concept, design, fabrication, assembly, integration, benchtop testing, and delivery of an ice-anchoring end effector, leading to successful field tests in a glacial cave. (See also: YouTube)

(2017) Mechanical Engineer, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) (Curiosity Rover)

• Lead for the replacement operation/surgery of the robotic arm force-torque sensor in the Engineering Model rover.
• Test support equipment hardware and instrumentation design and software for the development of Feed-Extended Drilling (FED) techniques.

(2017) Mechanical Engineer, Comet Surface Sample Return

• Zero-gravity flight test support hardware design, analysis, build, and operation support for the Fiberscope Sample Imaging System

(2016-2017) Cognizant Engineer, Microspine Tool Drivetrain, Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM)

• Mechanical detailed design, analysis, assembly, integration, and testing of prototype/TRL-5 Microspine Gripper Tool drivetrain.
• Support Engineer for test software, test operations, and launch lock concepts.
• Developed a novel bi-directional drive system.

(2015-2016) Mechanical Engineering Intern, Microspine Tool Drivetrain, Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM)

• Mechanical architecture, early design concepts and analyses, developmental rapid prototyping and testing for the Microspine Gripper Tool drivetrain.

(2014) Mechanical Engineering Intern, Gecko Gripper, In-situ & Remote Inspection Robot (IRIS)

• Mechanical design, analysis, developmental rapid prototyping, final build, and zero-g flight test of a Gecko Gripper end effector for in-situ in-space robotic servicing. (see also: Veritasium)