Spring 2014 mechanical engineering graduate designs robotic exoskeletons
After losing his home to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Christopher Meadows knew he would become an engineer because “engineering was a way to go and make the world a better place.” He says he can do just that working for a startup robotics company.
Meadows began working for Ekso Bionics as a mechanical design engineer after graduating from Iowa State in spring 2014. The company designs robotic exoskeletons for two product lines – medical and augmented human strength. Meadows works with the medical team, which designs products for people who are paralyzed for therapy and rehabilitation centers across the nation; the device helps them to walk again.
And he loves his job. “We’re helping people vastly improve their lives. We have an area where people can come and put our device on and literally walk for the first time. The look on the faces of those who are using this device reflects the difference engineering can make in someone’s life.”
Before finding such a perfect career opportunity, Meadows found a great fit for earning his education. He was attracted to Iowa State for all the extras the engineering program offered—the valuable education, large indoor career fair and high placement rates after graduation.
As a mechanical engineering major, Meadows says his experience at Iowa State also introduced him to many friends and exposed him to different backgrounds.
He particularly enjoyed his sophomore design class, “The class was open-ended, project based and a great challenge. At the same time, I got to make new relationships and work in a group.”
Meadows says his biggest takeaway from his time as an undergrad was problem solving, which he now uses daily at work. “I think Iowa State did a great job to prepare me to gather the proper information, analyze it and apply it to real-life situations.”
He adds that the university’s encouragement to complete three internships also gave him practical experience that complemented what he learned in the classroom.