Saptarshi Sadhu                                           

saptarshisadhu21@gmail.com               LinkedIn | Experiments

Hardware/Design Engineer

Specializing in mechanical design, rapid prototyping, and integration of electromechanical systems for robotics and automation. Proven track record in developing, testing, and optimizing hardware solutions, ensuring high performance and reliability across interdisciplinary engineering projects.

Skills

  • Mechanical Design: SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Rhino, CAD for part design and assembly

  • Simulation & Analysis: FEA (ANSYS), SolidWorks Simulation, structural analysis, GD&T

  • Electromechanical Systems: Actuators, sensors, motors, microcontrollers, embedded systems, PLC, IoT

  • Hardware Testing & Debugging: Data acquisition, Systems testing, Protocols: UART, I2C, SPI, CAN, Modbus/TCP  

  • Rapid Prototyping: 3D printing, CNC machining(mill/lathe/routers), laser cutting, injection molding, welding.

  • Programming: C, Python (data analysis, image processing, robotic manipulation), PLC programming 

  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM/DFA): Manufacturing techniques, assembly, system testing

Education

University of Pennsylvania, MS Integrated Product Design                             2021-2023

Focus: Product Design Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, Manufacturing, Business Development

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Bachelor of Architecture                        2016-2021

Professional Experience

Foss Water Systems, Seattle, Hardware Engineer                                   June 2023 - Present

  • Spearheaded system design, hardware prototype fabrication using various rapid prototyping techniques, hardware testing, experiment design, and lab automation implementing IoT and DAQ systems; reducing manual work by 96%.

  • Optimized bioprocess-based consumer waste treatment, increasing reactor efficiency by 60% and ensuring commercial viability.

  • Created detailed 2D and 3D CAD engineering drawings, and established SOPs for various sub-systems.

  • Collaborated with third-party vendors to develop product specifications and CAD designs for pilot prototypes, ensuring alignment with project requirements.

  • Automated sensor data collection, processing and streaming from a PLC implementing Python scripts and IoT platforms. Also, automated microscopy image analysis, improving lab processing efficiency and accuracy.

Studio Krea, Philadelphia,  Mechanical Engineering Intern                                           Dec 2022 - Jan 2023

  • Prototyped and tested actuators (for a medical device), improving the torque characteristics of a powered arm system for paralysis patients by 66%.

  • Prototyped multiple hardware iterations using rapid prototyping techniques to refine the design.

Venture Lab@UPenn, Studio Technician                             Sep 2021 - May 2023

  • Managed prototyping labs and supported mechatronics development for startups and student projects.

  • Developed experiments with the 7DOF Franka Emika Panda robotic arm.

University of Pennsylvania, Teaching Assistant                                     June 2022 - May 2023

  • Assisted in teaching graduate-level courses: Engineering Foundation (IPD-5000) and Integrated CAD, Manufacturing, and Analysis (IPD-5010).

Achievements 

Guinness World Record - Longest Running Mechanical Spinning Top (prototype)                         Dec 2018 - Dec 2020

IIT KGP Student PI: 3D Printing for Building Construction (competitive grant of $12,000)               July 2018- May 2021

Selected Projects

Bladerunner: 6DOF Robotic Arm  Personal Project                              March 2023 - Present

  • Designing and fabricating a robotic arm from scratch; including various actuators, motors encoders, mechanical linkages, electronics, hardware-software integrations, and more.  Link to updates.

ORELO - Versatile Ear Protection Master’s Thesis Project             Sep 2022 - May 2023

  • Led the mechanical design, validation, and testing of ear protection devices, for concert-goers, enhancing user experience. Link to Project

Portal: Interactive Projection-Based Installation  UPenn Team Project             Feb 2022 - May 2022

  • an artistic installation capturing live audience poses with Kinect II sensors, processed in TouchDesigner programmed with Python. Link to Project Video

Publication: Sadhu, S., & Aadithyaa, J.S. (2020). The Social Pendulum: An Oscillating Robot with Moods and Swings. HRI '20 Companion, March 23–26, 2020, Cambridge, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1145/3371382.3379455