Mechanical Engineering • CAD • Robotics

Jayesh Kankanala

Mechanical Engineering student interested in AI driven robotics solutions

Currently Mechanical Engineering Student @ University of Washington

About

Building systems that merge robotics and AI.

I am a robotics engineer with a strong focus in mechanical design and hands-on robot creation. Over the last two years, I focused entirely on the hardware side, leading mechanical design, manufacturing, and assembly of robots utilizing tools like Fusion, Solidworks, CAM, and CNC operation. Now, I am expanding into the software side of robotics, learning computer vision, embedded systems through Arduino and ESP32 microcontrollers, and path-planning algorithms in ROS2 so I can take systems from mechanical design to intelligent automation. I am actively seeking internships that will deepen both my mechanical and software engineering skills through an application to real robotic systems.

Featured Work

Engineering Projects

In Progress

3-axis Robotic Arm with Vision-Based Control

*IN PROGRESS* - Expected completion by end of September

Cycloidal drive for all three joints for minimal backlash and high torque output
NEMA 17 stepper motors driving each joint for increased accuracy
Inverse kinematics of the arm solved by the Jacobian pseudoinverse algorithm - allows for small offsets accumulated over time
Path planning handled by ROS2, simulated in Mujoco for trajectory generation
Next Steps: Camera integration, Object detection model development, 2D depth sensing

SolidworksROS2PythonRobotics

Robotics • Mechanical Design

Pivoting 2-Stage Cascading Telescopic Arm

The purpose of this project was to design a cascading arm that can operate in a plane of motion rather than an axis.

Two-stage cascading arm driven by chain with option for third stage allows for extended reach with a compact stowed position
120:1 reduction to drive pivot - calculated using motor current charts
6.5:1 reduction to drive extension - calculated using gear ratio and chain reduction
Three Kraken x60 motors minimizes brownout currents and avoids overheating

FusionCADMechanical DesignRobotics

Mechanical Design • CAD

Vise Fixture

The purpose of this project was to design a vise fixture that extends the operating envelope of a mill by adding a new base plate

Extended operating envelope of the machining axis by creating a new base plate, eliminating the need for manual part registration
Verified design using stress analysis, fabricated it, and tested it on the machine

FusionManufacturingStress Analysis

Research + Concepts

Research

Statistical Mechanics of Temperature Gated Ion Channels

Developed probability models of current flow through temperature gated ion channels under different conditions using a Boltzmann distribution to discover the existence of multiple closed states

PythonData AnalysisStatistics

Tools

Technical Stack

Mechanical / Design

•SolidWorks
•Fusion
•Fusion CAM

Programming

•Python
•C++
•ROS2

Robotics / Embedded

•Arduino
•ROS2

Experience

Industry and Research Work

Full Stack Intern

DiMaag AI · Aug 2026 – Present

Integrated camera mounts for LiDAR, wide lens, and fisheye lens on a Rough Terrain Vehicle (RTV), and created housing for a compute module to fit in a compact environment while maintaining airflow
Eliminated image distortion from terrain vibration by collaborating with software and hardware teams to integrate rubber dampeners, as shown by increased accuracy at higher speeds during field tests
Tested 2D depth sensing models with ROS2 images to increase accuracy for future autonomous vehicles reliant on 2D depth sensing

Mechanical Lead

FRC Team 2367 · Aug 2022 – May 2026

Led team of 70+ students to first district championship in 11 years, managing 50+ mechanical members
Designed 30+ actuators and manipulators in a fast-paced, collaborative environment using Autodesk Fusion and Autodesk Inventor
Managed entire mechanical process from design in CAD software to manufacturing with CNC mills and lathes
Recognized with Engineering Award out of 2000+ students for demonstrating “a passion and dedication towards innovation”

Mechanical Engineering Intern

Variant Energy · May 2025 – Aug 2025

Cut setup and machining time by ~40% by designing a machining fixture for a thin foil handling vacuum chuck
Streamlined inventory, order, and BOM tracking by designing custom ERP software in Airtable integrated with Fusion exports
Advanced client battery prototyping processes by collaborating directly with clients to design industrial-grade prototyping machines that reduced error during the prototyping process

Professional Mridangam Artist

Sarvalaghu Percussion Arts Center · Sep 2019 – Present

Performed professional mridangam debut in May 2026 under the tutelage of Kalaimamani Shri Ramesh Srinivasan Sir
One of 20 students internationally selected for the Sustaining Sampradaya percussion cohort at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Festival
Led several office hour sessions as a teaching assistant to help younger students develop their skillsets

Affiliations

Organizations

Contact

Get in Touch

✉

Jayesh Kankanala

⌘

GitHub

jayesh26k