About
Cooper Mallow
I am a mechanical engineer who loves designing, prototyping, and iterating real hardware, especially in robotics and soft actuation.
My work is hands-on, experimental, and driven by the process of turning ideas into working systems through testing, refinement, and repeated iteration.
About
My background combines research, industry experience, and independent project work centered on mechanism design, soft actuators, rapid prototyping, and real-world testing.
As of May 2026, I will complete an accelerated B.S./M.E. in Mechanical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, along with a B.A. in Applied French Language and Culture.
Across research and product development work, I have focused on designing and iterating systems that have to perform physically, not just look good on paper.
- Hands-on work in soft actuation, compliant systems, and robotic mechanisms.
- Industry experience in fast-paced consumer product development at SharkNinja.
- Strong interest in turning concept work into tested, manufacturable hardware.
- Comfortable moving between design, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
Selected Projects
A few examples of the work I have done in robotics, soft actuator development, experimental hardware, and human-centered design.
Soft Actuator Research for Compliant Grippers
Investigated multiple soft actuator technologies for possible use in compliant gripper systems. Built prototypes, designed validation tests, and compared approaches based on force density, controllability, and integration feasibility.
3D Printed Soft Pneumatic Actuators
Designed and fabricated novel pneumatic soft actuator concepts using multimaterial FFF 3D printing. Explored braid resolution, airtightness, and integrated dissolvable mold strategies to improve manufacturability and geometry.
Brushroll DOE at SharkNinja
Designed and iterated brushrolls for prototype builds of the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro. Achieved zero percent hair wrap while maintaining cleaning performance and balancing hair migration, agitation, and manufacturing constraints.
Adaptive TV Remote Case
Designed and produced an ergonomic remote case for users with reduced dexterity and hand pain. Improved grip stability, distributed pressure more comfortably, and iterated the design from PLA to TPU for better usability.
Experience
My experience spans research and product development, with an emphasis on experimentation, prototyping, and building mechanisms that have to work in practice.
Rochester Institute of Technology
- Design, prototype, and iterate McKibben artificial muscles to improve force output, durability, and manufacturability for soft robotic actuation.
- Evaluate soft robotic actuation and gripping mechanisms to inform new hardware designs.
- Use experimental testing and data analysis to guide design decisions and research direction.
- Support research work aimed at peer-reviewed publication and continued development in soft robotics.
SharkNinja
- Worked on prototype brushroll development for the Shark CarpetXpert HairPro second-generation carpet cleaner.
- Used testing and iteration to reach zero percent hair wrap while maintaining cleaning performance.
- Balanced mechanical performance with manufacturing constraints during design refinement.
- Contributed to a fast-paced product development environment focused on real test outcomes.
Rochester Institute of Technology
- Accelerated dual-degree mechanical engineering program.
- GPA: 3.91 / 4.00, Summa Cum Laude Candidate.
- Relevant coursework includes Nonlinear Controls, Biomechatronics, Personalized 3D Printing, and Materials Science.
Skills
Tools and capabilities I use across design, fabrication, analysis, and technical communication.
Mechanisms and Analysis
Compliant joints, actuation selection, tolerance considerations, and basic FEA.
3D Design
SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Fusion, OnShape, nTop, generative design, and design for manufacturing.
Fabrication and Prototyping
3D printing with FFF and SLA, mill, lathe, and hands-on prototype development.
Programming and Data Analysis
MATLAB, Simulink, Simscape, Excel, and Java.
Technical Communication
PowerPoint, LaTeX, visual project storytelling, and clear documentation of design and test work.
Focus Areas
Soft robotics, actuator development, mechanism design, rapid iteration, and experimental validation.
Contact
I am always excited to meet new people and hear about new ideas. If you are working on something interesting and think I could help, I would love to connect.
Contact
Working on something interesting? I’d love to hear about it—let’s see what we can build together.