Nathaniel Fino

I enjoy solving problems, leading teams, and working to help shape the future of the engineering field to make a positive impact on others' lives. My background is in engineering modeling and product design, and my passion is in exoskeleton design and robotics. I have led and been led in numerous teams from working to design a Cubesat to semi-autonomous robots. I enjoy the opportunity to build upon previous knowledge, especially the projects and challenges that help to do just that. 

Rice University | MAHI Lab 
My research is focused on soft actuator design, used primarily to create compliant alternatives to typical electromechanical actuators, to assist in more confirmative vibrotactile haptic cues.

Design Engineer Intern | Rugged Robotics

My role was to develop and implement new products from conception to implementation. More specifically, I focused on creating semi-autonomy for construction floor plan robots, through the design of a perception sensor suite. This consisted of component research and validation with onboard systems, systems-informed CAD design and tolerancing through Solidworks, prototype design, manufacturing, testing, and finally integration.
 

Masters Student | Rice University

In Dr. O'Malley's Research Lab MAHI Designing Textile Based wearable Vibrotactors and associated hardware for haptic feedback. 

Skills: Research and Development (R&D), Haptics, Soft Robotics, Actuator Design, Pneumatics 

Submitted manuscripts: 

- N. Fino, B. Jumet, Z. A. Zook, D. J. Preston, M. K. O’Malley, “Mechanofluidic Instability-Driven Wearable Textile Vibrotactor,” 2023 IEEE World Haptics Journal, In review. 

- N. Fino, Z. A. Zook, B. Jumet, D. J. Preston, M. K. O’Malley, “A Soft Approach to Convey Vibrotactile Feedback in Wearables Through Mechanical Hysteresis,” 2023 IEEE Robosoft Conference, accepted.

- B. Jumet, Z. A. Zook, D. Xu, N. Fino, A. Rajappan, M. W. Schara, J. Berning, N. Escobar, M. K. O’Malley, D. J. Preston, “A Textile-Based Approach to Wearable Haptic Devices,” 2022 IEEE Robosoft Conference, accepted. 

- B. Jumet, Z. A. Zook, A. Yousaf, A. Rajappan, D. Xu, T. F. Yap, N. Fino, Z. Liu, M. K. O’Malley, D. J. Preston, “Fluidically Programed Wearable Haptic Textiles,” 2023 Science Advances Journal, in review.

Teaching Assistant  | Rice University

Design of Mechanical Systems Teaching Assistant

• Analog electronic design for purposes of controlling electromechanical systems, including electromechanical sensors and actuators, analog electronic design of filters, state space and classical controllers, and transistor-based servo amplifiers and high voltage amplifiers. Implementation of digital controllers. Laboratory component with design and fabrication of circuits to control electromechanical systems.

Modeling Dynamic Systems Teaching Assistant

• Worked under Dr. O’Malley and other TAs to facilitate experiments teaching students energy-based modeling of dynamic systems. Introducing students to mechanical, electrical, fluid, thermal, and related domains, as well as Modeling and simulation of systems via MATLAB

Fundamentals of Control Systems Teaching Assistant

• Worked with Linear systems and the fundamental principles of classical feedback control, state variable analysis of linear dynamic systems, stability of linear control systems, time-domain analysis and control of linear systems, root-locus analysis, and design and pole-zero synthesis, frequency domain techniques for the analysis and design of control systems.

I am about to receive my MS in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and previously received my BS in Mechanical Engineering from Letourneau University. 

I have also received my CSWA certification in Solidworks design