Austin Robotics & AI

Hello Everyone,

There are many exciting developments in Robotics and AI right now, so let's get together to learn, connect, and create more opportunities for everyone here in Austin.

This event will be held in-person at HICAM from 6 pm - 8 pm. Get your free ticket here.

Talk 1: The TriMech Design Process: Turning Ideas Into Production Ready Products

Talk description:

This talk provides a high level walkthrough of TriMech Design Solutions’ streamlined, end to end product development process. Formerly known as MAKO Design before its acquisition, the team now combines startup savvy industrial design with the broader engineering, simulation, and manufacturing capabilities of TriMech. Attendees will discover how this integrated ecosystem empowers inventors, startups, and small companies to move from early sketches to manufacturable products with greater speed, clarity, and affordability.

Magnus Skold and Tim Uys will guide the audience through each stage of the traditional design process, which includes research, concept development, refinement, CAD, engineering, prototyping, prototype refinement, and DFM. They will also illustrate how TriMech’s lean methodology keeps clients engaged and educated at every step. The session includes a visual breakdown of the workflow and highlights how disciplined creativity, engineering rigor, and manufacturability work together to bring ideas to life.

About Tim Uys:

Tim Uys is the Lead Designer at TriMech Design Solutions and previously served as the Director of Design at MAKO Design. He has more than 30 years of international product development experience, working with Fortune 50 corporations, startups, and independent inventors. Tim’s work has won several design awards, including the Red Dot Award, Paris Design Award, New York Design Award, and multiple additional U.S. and international honors. He has also appeared on PBS’s 'Make48' as a subject matter expert and mentor.

His portfolio spans consumer products, fitness equipment, lighting, home appliances, and complex mechanical systems. Tim is recognized for combining industrial design expertise with deep engineering understanding, helping clients move from conceptual exploration to prototyping and production. His long career continues to influence hardware innovation for entrepreneurs and corporations around the world.

About Magnus Skold:

Magnus Skold is a Senior Industrial Designer with over 20 years of experience creating user centered, production ready products across consumer electronics, medical devices, aerospace, lifestyle goods, and transportation. He has led more than 190 projects from concept through manufacturing, developed CMF strategies for global brands, and helped deliver award winning designs. Magnus is also an author and thought leader, publishing extensively on industrial design and AI, including his book 'Design is Fluid' and his ongoing newsletter 'Future Creative'.
His career includes work such as contributions to Dell’s 14G enterprise products, aircraft seating projects, medical devices with Abbott and Stryker, and advanced telecommunications technologies. Magnus is active in the design community as a speaker and educator, including appearances at the Industrial Design Conference and leadership as the Chair of IDSA’s Austin chapter.

Talk 2: Jon Olsen -Thermoelectrics: Physics, Pitfalls, and Practical Design

Talk description:
Thermoelectric (Peltier) coolers are one of the most misunderstood technologies in electronics. Many engineers treat them like a tiny refrigerator or simply sandwich one between a chip and a heatsink. In reality, a thermoelectric module is no more a complete cooling solution than the compressor alone is an HVAC system. Used incorrectly, they can create thermal runaway, waste power, and make systems perform worse instead of better. This lightning talk will explain how thermoelectrics actually work and where they make sense in real systems. We will look at practical robotics and embedded applications such as stabilizing thermal camera sensors, managing burst heat loads in motors and batteries, and controlling temperature in sealed systems where compressors or refrigerants are not practical. The talk will focus on the system design approach required to make thermoelectrics succeed, including the thermal stack and heat rejection. I will also briefly introduce a thermoelectric evaluation kit we are developing to help engineers experiment with TEC systems and design them correctly. I am looking for about ten beta testers from the community who are interested in trying the hardware and providing feedback.

About Jon Olsen:

Jon Olsen is a product manager at Sheetak, an Austin-based company that designs and manufactures thermoelectric cooling and generation technology. His work focuses on developing practical thermal systems and evaluation platforms that help engineers integrate thermoelectrics into real products. Jon’s background combines entrepreneurship and engineering. He has spent much of his career building hardware products and bringing electromechanical systems to market, with experience spanning thermal systems, IoT devices, and manufacturing. He enjoys working at the intersection of physics, product design, and hands-on hardware development.