Rishabh
Dholakia

Cornell Assistive Technologies · Ithaca, NY

Engineering Subteam Lead Mar 2026 – Present

• Leading 5-person team to design, manufacture, and implement a mechanical support & lift to aid those with disabilities to get in and out of their cars

Mechanical Engineering Subteam Member Nov 2024 – Mar 2026

• Engineered a tactile coding system by adapting Microsoft MakeCode syntax into a library of 3D-printed blocks with embedded Braille, enabling visually impaired students to learn programming
• Built a parametrized template sketch in Fusion 360 to standardize block dimensions and interface geometry, enabling consistent fit across parts designed by a 9-person team
• Won 2nd place at RESNA 2026 Student Design Challenge, an assistive technologies competition at the Abilities International Professional Conference, for the tactile coding blocks project
• Adapted 4+ ride-on cars during Go Baby Go event, performing structural support and electrical control modifications to ensure accessible and safe use, personalized for each disabled child
• CAD modeled a compact enclosure for a sensory overload watch in Fusion 360

Strength Robotics Inc. · Norwalk, CT

Mechanical Engineering Intern May 2026 – Aug 2026

• Presented a 40+ slide deck on product requirements to a sports science expert, benchmarking existing products and building a prioritization matrix to establish feasibility
• Performed statics hand calculations for reaction loads across the mechanism's range of motion, iterating Fusion 360 CAD geometry to keep support and actuator loading within feasible limits
• Sized functional targets for range of motion and adjustment ranges from anthropometric data to accommodate 5th–95th percentile users, validating criteria with an external sports-science consultant
• Developed a Python geometric coverage model to evaluate sensor placement, iterating position and angle against required viewing volume to determine a viable mounting configuration

Engineered Living Materials Institute · Ithaca, NY

Undergraduate Research Member Aug 2025 – May 2026

• Design and manufacture micro-robot for novel chemical-based control system for multi-robot coordination for future search-and-rescue capabilities
• Co-developed complete CAD assembly in Fusion 360 for V0 chassis and internal components, optimized for 3D printing and rapid assembly
• Developed initial run & tumble algorithm to validate component integration and pathfinding logic, ensuring reliable robot navigation before hardware finalization
• Simulated chemical diffusion, biological sensor response time lag, and consequential robot pathfinding using finite difference method (FDM) in Python

Liquid Propulsion at Cornell (LPC) · Ithaca, NY

Turbopump Subteam Lead Aug 2025 – Mar 2026

• Led a 3-person subteam in a turbopump feasibility study to establish targets for engine integration
• Conducted comprehensive trade studies on existing designs to select and justify critical system architectural decisions for the project
• Performed thermodynamic & fluid mechanic hand calculations for initial component sizing

Ascent Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Central Islip, NY

QC Intern Jun 2025 – Aug 2025

• Authored and managed comprehensive technical reports (50+ pages) for products, consolidating detailed test results to ensure data integrity and traceability
• Implemented digital conversion of critical documentation into accessible Word documents and Excel sheets, significantly improving data accessibility and streamlining record-keeping

ASTRA Lab · Ithaca, NY

Undergraduate Research Assistant Jan 2025 – May 2025

• Analyzed electrospray thruster data with MATLAB & custom Python code for improved efficiency
• Built interactive Python GUI to streamline experimental data analysis and aid usability for researchers
• Modeled and prototyped mounting plate and stand in Fusion 360 for water jetting