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UWRT - Hardware Engineering Co-op

UWRT - Hardware Engineering Co-op

Owned by Saheed Quadri
Last updated: Jan 19, 2025
3 min read

Job Summary

**Please note that this role is unpaid**

The University of Waterloo Robotics Team (UWRT) is an engineering student design team. Our mission is to develop real world applicable robotic systems with primary a focus on the development of a Mars Rover

UWRT is preparing to compete in the University Rover Challenge (URC), where competitors need to develop a Mars rover capable of completing a multitude of tasks. There are 4 sets of tasks that the rover needs to complete, listed as the following:
Science Mission: Retrieve soil samples, test and analyze them for signs of life.

Delivery Mission: Assist astronauts in the field by completing tasks (such as finding, picking up, and delivering objects), all while traversing terrain of increasing difficulty

Autonomy Mission: Autonomously navigate to designated GNSS coordinates

Equipment Servicing: Perform dexterous tasks on a mock-up equipment station using a robotic arm.

Further detail can be found in the URC Requirements & Guidelines

On the team, we hope to teach you about the electrical design and integration of our subsystems, including the rocker-bogie drivetrain hardware and our 6 DOF robotic arm. If you are interested in robotics and want to learn more about these challenges we need to tackle, feel free to apply! At UWRT, we will give you meaningful projects that will go on our rover, which will develop useful skills and knowledge to bring into your careers.

Due to the nature of the rover system and hardware development, it is required that the co-op is hybrid, and you are able to work in-person at our design bay in Waterloo. You will have flexible hours as you desire and are free to set your schedule, but we expect you to be available throughout the day and for team meetings that take place in the evenings.

 

Job Responsibilities

Your role as the Hardware Design co-op will involve working with cross-functional sub-teams that include mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software. You will be performing the research and development of printed circuit boards (PCBs), validating circuit designs using simulation software, manufacturing board designs, testing, and doing system-level integration to implement your work with the overall architecture. You will get to define and implement multiple different aspects of the competition rover.

Specific tasks you will take on include:

  • Selection of electromechanical components

  • Design requirements specification and documentation

  • System integration

  • Firmware testing working with ODrive motor controllers and custom boards

  • Designing STM32 based controls and communication boards

  • Designing high power management, monitoring and distribution circuitry

Skills

Required Skills

  • Strong communication skills; capable of staying in contact with various stakeholders, contributing to technical discussions and asking thoughtful questions.

  • A drive to learn and contribute; design teams are all about growth and passion, and we want someone serious about achieving something they can be proud of, at UWRT.

  • Solid example of previous experience in designing and prototyping PCB boards

  • Basic familiarity or better with Altium Designer

Preferred Skills

  • Experienced with full development workflow in Altium Designer

  • Electrical architecture development

  • Wire routing and harnessing

  • Working with PDM and PLM tools (e.g GitHub, Microsoft suite etc.)

What you will learn:

  • Electrical circuitry design

  • Simulation and Testing

  • Electrical PCB debugging

  • System architecture design for Robotics

  • Cross-subteam system integration