About
In 2024, Satchel earned his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, but he has been engineering more or less his whole life. Independent, analytical and an enthusiastic collaborator, he has an unusual depth and breadth of experience in all aspects of design and production of mechanical and robotic systems. Until recently, he served as lead mechanical engineer at a start-up developing autonomous submersible robots that can dramatically improve the fuel efficiency of container ships by continuously cleaning biofouling off their hulls. Because he is driven to understand systems deeply, he develops very well-founded design solutions. Once he brings things into the physical world, he explores their nature with an insatiable curiosity for improvement. As Satchel puts it, making functional objects is his job; making beautiful objects is why he keeps coming to work.
My Links:
Résumé
Experience
Fleet Robotics
A start-up developing autonomous submersible robots that can dramatically improve the fuel efficiency of container ships by continuously cleaning biofouling off their hulls
Lead mechanical engineer – April 2025-present
Developed the concept and continue to lead the whole system design of a more advanced version of the previous robot; a total architecture rebuild was required, as system failures in the previous design became evident during testing. Continue to lead the development of the prototypes and production intent model. Direct the work of one full-time mechanical engineer and three mechanical engineering interns. Responsible for signing off on manufacturing drawings and parts. This generation of the robot is designed to prove the technology for our upcoming Series A round.
Lead designer: Submersible robot system and methods of employing same,
International Patent Application No. PCT/US23/86388, filed December 29, 2023
Mechanical and robotics engineer – June 2023-April 2025
Working under two experienced engineers, I was the main design engineer for two essential subsystems: I designed the housing and waterproofing for a mechanical potting of an electro-permanent magnet, as well as a modular bayonet connector for quick-change access, and then coordinated the production of hundreds of these objects. I also designed and implemented a variable stiffness actuator
Intern, the third employee after the two co-founders – January-August 2022
Autodesk Fusion 360 Ambassador
Taught Fusion 360 – including solid body, assembly, surface, CAM, and T-spline modeling –
to undergraduate and graduate students from MIT and other Make Impact Consortium universities. September 2020-present
Project Manus Mentor
Train undergraduates to safely use the full range of digital manufacturing equipment in MIT’s Maker Spaces and oversee their projects.
January 2020-present
Intern at Biomimetic Robotics Lab, MIT
I worked full time in the lab of Sang-bae Kim. I designed and built a capstan bowden cable testing rig for analyzing the frequency response of bowden cables in robotic hands. This was important for the lab because it allowed us to understand whether the actuators could be "remoted" and maintain viably low hysteresis. I CNC-machined parts for other lab members' projects. June 2021-August 2021
Intern at GEAR Lab, MIT
To create a small-scale solar pumping system to serve the irrigation needs of farmers in East Africa, the lab needed to develop the electronics and solar package. To support that work, I took
manual measurements of an impeller pump (imported from China, so it came with no documentation) and characterized its flow vs. power characteristics. I then used regression analysis to fit a pump curve to the data. Jan 2021-June 2021
Intern in the Center for Bits and Atoms, MIT
Working with Filippos Tourlomousis, I used CAD to design the parts and assemblies for a 3D bioprinter for directly printing hydrogel lattices (for culturing human stem cells – a step towards artificial organs). Filippos also challenged me to explore the literature to come up with a procedure for directly printing a self-assembling nano-fiber peptide gel. November 2018-March 2020
Fulltime Intern in the Micro-Robotics Lab of Robert J. Wood, the Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute, Harvard University
With oversight from doctoral student Michael Bell, I worked to design, create the injection molds for, prototype and conceptualize the manufacturing of a soft-robotic starfish arm with integrated tube feet. Applications for this US Navy-funded project could include underwater hull inspection and reconnaissance. My work required extensive use of Autodesk Fusion 360 and Rhinoceros. June-July 2018
Instructional Hockey Coach, Cambridge Youth Hockey, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Volunteering every Saturday morning in winter from the time I was in 7th grade, I worked with the head coach to teach six-to-11-year-olds the basics of ice hockey.
Independent Design Projects, Digital Fabrication and Woodworking,
Cambridge, Massachusetts With and without instruction, I have worked extensively in our family shop since I was 11.
Since 2019, I designed and built a 3D printer and a concrete CNC mini-mill and built two open-source CNC machines, one for milling prototype printed circuit boards and one for making furniture. My largest projects in wood: a one-man speedboat and a full-scale replica of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden cabin, built during the pandemic on a site in Maine. I was selected to present my portfolio as part of a Fall 2017 Young Makers showcase at the North Bennet Street School in Boston.
Mechanical Engineering Junior, MIT Class of 2023
October 2013 – March 2019
NuVu: The Innovation School, Cambridge, MA,
Jan. 2018-Graduation June 2019 A studio-based innovation school for middle and high school students.
The Newman School, Boston, MA,
September 2015-December 2017 Activities:
Skills
Computer-aided design (Autodesk Fusion 360 and Rhinoceros) • Rapid prototyping,
including 3D printing and laser cutting • Woodworking • Digital photography • Drone videography • Licensed driver • CPR & First Aid • Microsoft Office • Interpersonal communication
A prosthetic hand that tests how to integrate “soft robotics,” which are ideal for performing fine-motor skills, with the heavier, brute-force conventional robotics used in most prostheses. The hand offers a wide range of movement with just seven pneumatic channels.
“Tessellating Gardens” – Set in a slow-moving urban river, these 8-foot hexagonal floating gardens use plants and shelled creatures to reduce phosphate run-off pollution and the toxic summertime algae blooms it triggers, while adding a decorative element to the riverscape and producing edible food.
An underarm brace I invented and custom-built for Marine wounded in action in Iraq. It allows him to do intense “Cross-Fit” pull-ups despite having a fused elbow.
Sailing team (Captain and chief recruiter)
FIRST Robotics Club (member and chief mechanic) Running Club (founding member)