Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineer – Winch, Cable Reel & Tethered UAV Design

We are developing an industrial aerial robotic system for surface cleaning and are looking for an experienced mechanical or mechatronics engineer with relevant experience in winches, cable reels, hose management, tethered UAVs, or cable-driven robotic systems. The objective of this project is to evaluate different practical methods for managing a cable/hose connected to an aerial robot operating near vertical surfaces. We want to understand the advantages, disadvantages, technical risks, and limitations of the available concepts and select the most suitable architecture for further development. This is primarily a concept evaluation and engineering study, not yet a detailed mechanical design project. The study should consider relevant approaches such as: * Ground-based vs. elevated cable/hose management * Active vs. passive reel systems * Motorized winches and cable reels * Constant-tension and controlled-tension mechanisms * Spring-loaded or counterbalanced reel concepts * Cable/hose routing and attachment to the aerial vehicle * Managing forces transferred from the cable/hose to the vehicle * Power, fluid, communication, and safety-line configurations * Combined hose/cable arrangements * Cable/hose weight and its effect at increasing operating height * Tangling, twisting, snagging, and slack management * Operation close to façades and vertical structures * Failure modes and safety considerations * Ground-equipment size and portability * Scalability to different operating heights Expected Deliverables: 1. Identify technically feasible concepts for the application. 2. Develop a comparison matrix covering advantages, disadvantages, complexity, limitations, and risks. 3. Perform preliminary engineering calculations where relevant, particularly for cable/hose weight, tension, required reel torque, vehicle disturbance, and operating height. 4. Recommend the most suitable concept or a shortlist of concepts for further development. 5. Identify relevant commercial components, mechanisms, or existing technologies that could be adapted. 6. Review the conclusions with our engineering team in a technical discussion. Relevant experience may include: * Winch and cable reel design * Constant-tension reel systems * Hose reel systems * Cable management mechanisms * Tethered UAVs or drones * ROV tether-management systems * Cable-driven robots * Cranes, hoists, or lifting systems * Aerial robotics * Mechanical/mechatronic system design Hands-on experience with winches, cable/hose management, tethered robots, or similar systems is strongly preferred. If the initial study is successful, there may be an opportunity to continue with detailed design, component selection, prototyping, and testing.