Senior Design Project Leads Student to Career at Tatum Robotics

For John-Mark Fakhri, Electromechanical Engineering ’25, a Senior Design project was more than just a final academic requirement—it was the launchpad for his career. 

During his senior year, Fakhri led a team working on the third iteration of the "Tatum hand," a collaborative project with Tatum Robotics. The Boston-based startup is dedicated to developing assistive robotic systems for the DeafBlind community. Following his contributions to the project, Fakhri has accepted a position as an Electromechanical Engineer at the company. 

"My work with Tatum Robotics became a defining part of my senior year, both technically and personally, showing me the power of engineering when applied to real human needs," Fakhri said. "Through this collaboration, I gained invaluable hands-on experience contributing to a mission-driven team creating tools for the DeafBlind community." 

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Innovating for Accessibility 

Working alongside fellow Class of 2025 graduates Konstantinos Theodoropoulos (Computer Engineering) and William Hingston (Computer Engineering), Fakhri focused on embedding a sensing device into tendon-driven robotic fingers to enhance tracking. 

The team utilized the Tatum hand—a highly specialized robotic hand designed to support tactile American Sign Language—as their experimental platform. 

"Alongside my teammates, I developed a fingertip-sized IMU (inertial measurement system) system capable of real-time orientation tracking of a tendon-driven robotic finger, significantly improving control and reliability," Fakhri explained. 

The team’s success led to the publication of their paper, “An Embedded IMU Sensor for Orientation Detection of a Tendon-Driven Robotic Finger,” which they presented at the 2025 IEEE RCAE Conference in Xi’an, China. 

"Representing Wentworth on an international stage was a highlight of my academic journey and demonstrated the powerful impact robotics can have when paired with accessibility-driven design," Fakhri said. 

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A Foundation of Curiosity and Diligence 

Professor Afsaneh Ghanavati, who connected Fakhri with Tatum Robotics, worked closely with the team throughout the spring and summer of 2025. She describes Fakhri as a student who embodies "curiosity, diligence, and endurance." 

"John-Mark is indeed a confident yet gentle member of any team," Ghanavati said. "He is humble and hardworking, and his story is a reminder that there is no intelligence than prudent planning, no knowledge like contemplation, and no trade like good deeds." 

Fakhri’s journey to Wentworth began with an early interest in robotics. He started his studies in Mechatronics Engineering at the Lebanese American University before transferring to Wentworth. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.98 GPA, served as Vice President of the Wentworth Engineering Honor Society, and became a member of IEEE-HKN. 

Prior to his work with Tatum, he strengthened his technical foundation through co-op experiences at Walmart Advanced Systems & Robotics and Aspen Aerogels. 

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The Next Chapter 

Fakhri credits his professors and the opportunities at Wentworth for building the "strong foundation" that led to his new role. 

"This experience ultimately led to an offer to join Tatum Robotics as an Electromechanical Engineer, where I will continue supporting the development of the Tatum hand and future assistive robotic technologies," Fakhri said. "I look forward to carrying these experiences into the next chapter of my engineering career." 

Professor Ghanavati noted that Fakhri’s employment at Tatum is a direct result of his remarkable contributions during the capstone project. 

"I was with him every step of the way, discussing the next steps, ordering parts, and having meaningful conversations," Ghanavati said. "John-Mark led his 2025 Senior Design team and is now employed at Tatum because of his contributions." 

Find more Wentworth student work related to Tatum Robotics at this link.