Mechanical Engineering Intern/Co-op (Spring or Summer 2027)
Rugged Robotics
Salary undisclosed
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Description
Rugged Robotics is on a mission to empower the construction industry to build better by innovating new approaches to tough problems using automation. We are a fast-paced start-up environment where every employee takes on multiple roles and wears many hats. To help our customers to build better, we need to build the best team.
The hardware team at Rugged Robotics is responsible for prototyping, designing, and manufacturing robotic solutions that automate construction services with speed, precision and reliability. As a Mechanical Engineering Intern working on robots at a start-up, you'll be designing sleek assemblies backed by engineering analysis, selecting & integrating electro-mechanical components, and supporting the making & commissioning of our fleet of robots.
Internship / Coop Term: Spring 2027 or Summer 2027
Location: Onsite in Houston, TX
The Role
- Develop, build, evaluate, and test product solutions to meet the challenging needs of our construction customers.
- Design rotary & linear motion actuators, enclosures and cable harnesses for custom electrical components that minimizes robot size, protects against shock & vibe, shields EMI, and guards against environmental factors
- Use SOLIDWORKS to craft parts, construct assemblies, and create well-dimensioned drawings using GD&T that utilize a variety of manufacturing techniques including injection molding, CNC machining, metal casting, and sheet metal.
- Make informed engineering decisions by creating simulations, running tests, and conducting analyses with a range of techniques.
- Engage and collaborate with vendors around the world to refine designs and deliver hardware to meet project timelines.
You Are
- Experienced working with electro-mechanical or mechanical systems from a prior internship, extra-curricular project, or lab research.
- Passionate about creating product that works reliably and exceeds customer's expectations.
- Enjoy the gritty details of part design including material selection, crafting elegant features, and optimizing designs for manufacturing & assembly.
- Hands-on with prototyping, building, & debugging and capable of working in a prototype machine shop to bring your own ideas to life
- Enthusiastic about learning new techniques & technologies and are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
Rugged Robotics is headquartered in Houston, TX in the vibrant neighborhood of East Downtown. This role requires close collaboration with teammates, and we value the interactions that come from working together around the robots in the lab.
Interested in Rugged Robotics but don't tick all the boxes? Don't see a role that meets your skills? Reach out, let us know how you think you can contribute to the team, and define your own position.
Rugged Robotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at our company. All qualified candidates will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, age, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other protected legal status.
About this role
Rugged Robotics is building automation technology for construction, and this internship puts you directly on the hardware team designing and building robotic systems. You'll move beyond coursework into real product development: designing mechanical assemblies in SOLIDWORKS, selecting and integrating electro-mechanical components, running engineering analyses, and supporting the physical prototyping and testing of working robots. The work spans the full scope of mechanical design—from actuators and enclosures to cable management—with attention to manufacturing constraints across injection molding, CNC machining, casting, and sheet metal processes.
This role suits someone with hands-on experience from a prior internship, capstone project, or lab work who genuinely enjoys the details of part design and manufacturing optimization. You should be comfortable in a machine shop, capable of prototyping and troubleshooting, and ready to collaborate with vendors and teammates in a startup environment where the pace is fast and responsibilities are broad. The position is based in Houston and requires in-office work, so you'll be present in the lab working directly with the hardware and the team.
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Pay for this role
The employer didn't post a pay range for this role. That usually means pay is set in negotiation, which favors whoever arrives with numbers. Check ranges on comparable Mechanical Engineering Intern/Co-op (Spring or Summer 2027) postings in Houston, and analyze any offer before you accept it.
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