Hardware Podcasts

S1E40 How To Develop Products for Farmers & the NBA | Kailee Hanratty

Being an Engineer · 2 Oct 2020 · 44m · Episode 40

What this episode covers

Kailee Hanratty, a mechanical engineer who worked at Plexus Corp, discusses her journey from civil to mechanical engineering and her work on specialized prosthetics for farmers and ergonomic seating for the Milwaukee Bucks. She details the design of a rugged, plug-and-play prosthetic interface for agricultural machinery and an adjustable, heated NBA bench chair validated through thermal and performance testing. Hanratty also describes her time at Plexus, focusing on a complex test fixture for a cardiac atherectomy device that saved significant engineering hours by simulating full surgical conditions.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Plexus Corp, Milwaukee Bucks, Pipeline Design & Engineering
Products
cardiac atherectomy device
Tools
SolidWorks

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 29m

    #019 - Chairless chair, with Keith Gunura of noonee, Switzerland

    Keith Gunura, co-founder and CEO of noonee in Zurich, explains the development of the Chairless Chair, a passive wearable device designed to alleviate back pain for industrial workers who stand all day. He details the product's origin at ETH Zurich, the decision to strip away complex motors and sensors to focus on simple passive dynamics, and the pivotal, albeit chaotic, media exposure from a CNN segment. Gunura also discusses the company's transition from a university spin-out to scaling production with the help of the engineering firm Zulke, and the challenges of pricing and validating the product with early corporate partners like BMW and Audi.

    Starting a product companyMechanical engineering
    8 chapters

  • Product Startup · 59m

    011: DIY Design & Manufacture of a Basketball Training Tool with Tony Devine of The Original Profender

    Tony Devine, a teacher and inventor, explains how he designed and manufactured the Original Profender, a mobile basketball training device, entirely by himself using a garage workshop and CNC machinery. He details his validation process, which involved demonstrating the prototype to college and NBA programs like Villanova and the Brooklyn Nets to prove its value before seeking formal production. Devine also discusses his experience appearing on Shark Tank, noting that while it provided credibility, it did not generate the expected sales spike, forcing him to remain a one-person operation focused on direct sales and education. He describes the iterative design improvements, such as switching from plastic to metal connectors after field failures, and his strategy of expanding into lower-priced stationary models to capture a broader market.

    Prototyping & iterationValidation & product-market fit
    10 chapters

  • TRADEOFFS · 59m

    T-24-005 : Kaleen Canevari - Mechanical Engineer to Connected Fitness CEO

    Kaleen Canevari, founder and CEO of Flexia, discusses building the world's first smart Pilates reformer, detailing her transition from mechanical engineering to navigating venture capital dynamics and manufacturing challenges. She explains how Flexia uses sensors to measure load, distance, and speed to generate a Movement Quality Score (MQS), creating proprietary metrics for Pilates performance. Canevari shares the trade-offs of launching during the pandemic, including initial US manufacturing failures, shifting to China for better quality and unit economics, and the strategic decision to focus on direct-to-consumer sales rather than complex B2B studio integrations. She also reflects on the importance of founder-led marketing, the pitfalls of accelerator advice for hardware, and the discipline required to manage product scope and team growth.

    Design for manufacturing & NPICrowdfunding & preorders
    10 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 23m

    21. AI Rescues Firefighters, NASA Prints Spacecraft Parts, Plug & Play Prosthetics

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss three engineering stories: an AI model by NIST that predicts flashover in fires using sensor data and simulations; NASA’s use of ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) via subcontractor Fibrosnic to create complex, dissimilar-metal heat exchangers; and Levitate, a company founded by an amputee in partnership with the Technical University of Denmark, which offers affordable, plug-and-play athletic prosthetics using proprietary composite materials.

    AI & machine learningMaterials & manufacturing processes
    4 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 1h 00m

    Ep 330: Hover Turtles, Dull Designs, and K'nex Computers

    Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams discuss recent community hacks, including Fiona Bell and Leah Bukley’s paste extrusion of glass and eggshells, John Duffy’s bespoke Raspberry Pi multimeter, and Shadow Man 39’s 8-bit mechanical computer built from K’Nex. They also analyze the industrial design stagnation in modern smartphones and the complex logistics of the North American cold chain infrastructure. The episode covers the failure of AI coding tools, USB-C power delivery hacks, and a lock-picking robot that failed due to mechanical binding.

    Industrial & consumer product designPrototyping & iteration
    10 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.