MEng Mechanical Design
Keir Archibald — Engineer who builds things from first principles
Engineer who builds things
from first principles
R&D Design
Human Factors
Industrial Design
Engineer who builds things
from first principles
I'm an engineer who cares most about the early stages of design — when a problem is still open and the solution space is wide. I'm drawn to projects that need someone who can hold a technical brief and a human one at the same time.
Proof of concept
Small scale prototype
Motor control
Large scale coil prototype
Electromagnetic iteration
Testing and refinement
Thermal calibration
Thermistor embedding and LUT calibration
Fork reverse engineering
Photogrammetry of front fork profile
Polycam model
Fork mesh for CAD reference
CAD workflow
Deriving final fork shroud geometry
System integration
Autonomous operation with battery power
Wheel assembly
Magnet installation and securing
Fork adaptation
Final wiring and fork modifications
GCN workshop
Final bike producing target 20W
Concealed drive system integrated into a UCI-class racing bicycle. £500 budget. 1M+ views.
An independent R&D project built to explore weaknesses in current UCI motor doping detection. No institutional support, no workshop, £500 budget. From first concept to rideable prototype. Solo.
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Fully enclosed autonomous robot. Kiwi drive, computer vision navigation. Built in 4 weeks.
A fully enclosed autonomous robot designed for a Mars exploration brief. Complete mechanical architecture from scratch: kiwi drive, hand-built omni-wheels, and computer vision navigation. Four weeks, start to finish.
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Human factors and device development. Year-long placement at Sandoz Cambridge.
A year embedded in a global pharmaceutical company's device development team. Human factors studies, design iteration, and cross-functional collaboration from concept through to regulated validation.
View project →"He worked round the clock to make it happen, displayed incredible engineering prowess and created a bike many believed wasn't possible. Keir also stuck to a budget and deadline, which we needed to meet for filming purposes and communicated his progress effectively. In the end, it was absolutely brilliant to work with Keir and he helped us create one of our most successful films to date on the channel. Currently, it's been seen by close to 1 million people."
"Keir joined us with limited experience, but what impressed me most was how much he developed over the year. He got stuck in from day one, learned quickly, and became a valued part of the team. We all enjoyed having him here and would have happily kept him on after university. Whoever hires him next will be lucky to have him."
"I worked with Keir on our final year project and throughout the IDE Master's course, where he always stood out in our small cohort. He brought great energy to the group and helped create a close-knit atmosphere. He has strong engineering instincts, a sharp design eye, and a practical approach to problem solving. I'd highly recommend him as both an engineer and a great person to work with."
