Mechanical Designer - Robot-Mounted Snack Dispenser | Fusion 360 Anyone

We're Addition Robotics, building Plus, a bimanual mobile robot that works alongside care teams in senior living communities. We're looking for a mechanical designer to develop a removable snack dispenser that our robot can reliably pick snacks from.

We'll provide our robot CAD assembly, snack dimensions, and gripper information so you can design around the actual mounting interface, available space, and robot reach and grasp access. Work in our Fusion 360 team hub with native, editable models.

REQUIREMENTS
- Hold 3-4 types of snacks, with capacity for 15-30 items of each type depending on package size.
- Easily mounted on and removed from the robot by a human, with secure retention during robot movement.
- Easy human refilling with straightforward access and minimal setup.
- Top dispensing that consistently presents the next snack within the robot's pickup area. A spring-loaded follower applying upward force is one option; alternative mechanisms are welcome.
- Reliable single-item robotic pickup from full capacity down to the last item, accommodating packaging variation without jams, crushed packages, or double picks.
- Preserve robot reach/gripper clearance and human access for refilling, mounting, and removal.
- Smooth, easy-to-wipe surfaces, guarded moving parts, and no sharp edges.

FIXED PROJECT BUDGET: US$800 TOTAL

Phase 1 - Lightweight concepts ($100)
Review the supplied CAD, snack dimensions, mounting constraints, and gripper information. Provide 2-3 rough sketches or annotated diagrams showing compartments, feed mechanism, mounting/removal, and refill approach. Briefly explain tradeoffs, main risks, and your recommended direction. No CAD creation or detailed calculations required. Includes one discussion and a minor refinement of the selected concept.

Phase 2 - Detailed design, prototyping, and revisions ($700)
Develop the selected concept into clean, parametric Fusion 360 CAD and print-ready parts. Size the mechanism and select springs, fasteners, and other purchased components as needed.

We will 3D-print your designs in-house on Bambu Lab printers, assemble them, and test mounting, refilling, snack feeding, and robotic pickup. We'll share photos, videos, measurements, and observed issues so you can troubleshoot and revise the design iteratively. Include 2-3 prototype-and-revision rounds in the fixed price, updating CAD and print files after each round.

Validate repeatable single-item pickup for each snack type at full, partial, and near-empty capacity. We'll agree on measurable acceptance criteria and milestone scope before detailed design begins.

DELIVERABLES
- Native, editable Fusion 360 models with named components, a tidy timeline, and key dimensions parameterized.
- Print-ready files and per-part print notes: orientation, material, and supports.
- Bill of materials for springs, fasteners, and other purchased components.
- Critical interface dimensions and brief assembly, mounting, and refill instructions.
- A concise record of prototype feedback, revisions, and validation findings.

YOU
- Experience designing mechanisms and FDM parts that were physically built and tested.
- Relevant experience with dispensers, feeders, magazines, quick-release mounts, or robotic handling fixtures.
- Fluent in native Fusion 360; STEP conversions alone are not sufficient.
- Clear English communication and reliable async updates.

TO APPLY
Start your proposal with "snack" and include:
1. Photos or videos of a mechanism you designed and built, explaining your personal contribution.
2. How you would present packaged snacks consistently without jams or double picks.
3. How you would test reliable pickup across snack types and fill levels.
4. Confirm the $800 total budget ($100 concepts + $700 detailed design and 2-3 revision rounds), and share your availability and proposed timeline.

We aim to start ASAP and complete within about two months. Our team handles in-house printing and assembly; purchased hardware and external fabrication are separate from the design fee. read less