One Day, One Job » robotics

Kiva Systems

Willy Franzen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:42:08 +0000

We’ve already taken a look at Kiva, a San Francisco based microfinance non-profit, but today we’re going to take a look at Kiva Systems, a Woburn, MA based logistics and robotics company. They were ranked #6 on the Inc. 5000 this year by growing from $204,000 in revenue in 2005 to $21.4 million in revenue in 2008. That’s 10,399.0%, which is just insane. Their growth is coming from the online shopping revolution, even though they’re not an e-commerce company. This is due to the fact that their automated order fulfillment systems are huge efficiency boosters for warehouse operations. It’s hard to imagine how a Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System works, but once you see the video below, you’ll totally get it—and you will be amazed.

Kiva’s Magic Job Shelf

Since there’s no better way to understand what Kiva Systems does than to watch one of their systems in action, I’ve scrounged up a video to demonstrate what they’re all about (e-mail readers please click through to watch).

As you can see, Kiva Systems has developed technology that is changing the way fulfillment happens without completely ridding the process of humans. They’ve worked with names like Zappos, Walgreens, and Diapers.com, and that client list is just going to keep growing. They’ve only been around since 2003, so Kiva Systems is still a very young company, which means that there couldn’t be a better time to get in than now. They’re one of the most fascinating companies that I’ve come across in my nearly two years of profiling companies, and they’re looking to hire lots of entry level talent. They have a special Jobs page for college students/grads that describes that they’re looking for. They are mostly hiring engineers to join their Software, Hardware, and Manufacturing Teams; however, they also have opportunities on their Professional Services and Customer Experience Teams. You can apply for a job by e-mailing your résumé and cover letter to jobs@kivasystems.com noting your area of interest and graduation date. Unlike items in a warehouse with a Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System, these jobs aren’t going to bring themselves to you, so get to work!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Kiva Systems?

Vecna Technologies

Willy Franzen — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:48:19 +0000

Don’t get freaked out, but imagine an earthquake. Part of the building that you’re in collapses and you’re injured. There’s no way for you to get out, and there’s no safe way in for a rescue team. It’s too dangerous to send people in to get you out, but your injuries are life threatening. You need medical attention ASAP. Luckily, there’s a BEAR. No, not a trained wild animal (although that’s almost a good idea), but a “versatile, humanoid robot capable of lifting
and carrying humans and other items over 600 lbs.” This isn’t some fantasy. It’s a reality because of Vecna Technologies, a high-tech startup whose corporate mandate is “Better Technology, Better World.” They’re based in Greenbelt, MD, but they also have offices in Skyline, VA; Cambridge, MA; and Silicon Valley, CA. Robotics like those found in the BEAR is just one sliver of the things they’re doing to put technology to amazing uses.

Better Technology. Better Jobs.

Since Vecna works in so many different areas, I’m going to use their words to tell you more about what they do:

Vecna is the driving force on important and exciting projects such as designing cutting edge health care infrastructure and life-saving AI software for hospitals around the world, helping NIH with genomics research, providing high-tech consulting to government and commercial clients, and building enterprise web-based systems. Vecna’s robotics division is making history with the BEAR robot and is rolling out several new robotic products. The breadth of our projects keeps work fun and challenging for the whole team.

It’s really cool stuff, and if you want a more detailed look at what they do, you can check out all of their Solutions.

What about jobs? There are quite a few of them, and Vecna Technologies does a great job of selling themselves as an employer. Their Careers page has a ton of information – even a link to a page that asks Is Vecna Right for You? and a rundown of the hiring process. After checking that out, you’ll probably want to take a look at Vecna’s Current Job Openings. Those positions most suitable for new grads are Electromechanical Technician (Boston Area), Implementation Engineer (DC Area), Robotics PhD (Boston Area), and Software Engineer (Boston or DC Area). You can apply for these positions online; however, Vecna does offer a referral bonus. The process is a bit complicated, but it’s worth it – because I’ll split the $4,000 bonus with you. So, if you’re going to apply for a job with Vecna Technologies, e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com first. I’ll get right back to you with the referral #, and you can win doubly if you land the job.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How cool is the BEAR?

WowWee

Willy Franzen — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 13:00:31 +0000

Merry Christmas! And what’s Christmas all about? Toys! Ok, not really (we know, we know – commercialization of Christmas is evil), but there are few things better when you’re a kid than waking up in the morning and finding many of the toys that you’ve longed for all year sitting under a tree.

So today we’re going to tell you about WowWee, a toy company. Now they don’t make lame toys like dolls. They make awesome toys like animatronic Elvises, remote controlled dragon flies, and Robopandas. If you get a WowWee toy from Santa, you stop opening the rest of your presents and go play with it immediately. They’re that cool.

WowWee’s site is all flash, so we can’t link to individual pages. They do have a Careers Page, but it says there are no current openings. If you want to really take charge, send them a resume anyways at careers@wowwee.com.

We apologize for another short post, but we’ve got presents to open. We’ll be back to our usual length tomorrow. Until then, take a look at WowWee’s toys and think about a job in Santa’s Workshop (that’s what all toy companies really are).

Note: On April 23rd we revisited entry-level jobs at WowWee.