Projects
Universally Adaptable Dust Cover for NASA Space Telescopes
Problem: Currently, NASA space telescope dust covers are redesigned for every different iteration of telescope. Our capstone team created a design that would be approved by a JPL review board.
It was also desired to retain the cover so as to not add to the ever-increasing amount of space debris.
Action: One of the most important aspects of aerospace engineering is mass savings so our group decided to focus on a less conventional mylar membrane design. This meant the membrane would get pulled down into a smaller tube as compared to a typical lid that would flip off the top.
Our group met with NASA JPL biweekly to gain insight into our design
Researched relevant academic journals to gain an understanding of membrane folding mechanics
Reached out to professors about such articles to determine a mathematical model for our design
Developed a series of experiments to quantitatively describe the folding mechanism of the membrane
Used energy sensor/ammeter to obtain force from motor to pull membrane into tube
Presented design and research to a JPL review board of 10 members to display design functionality
My specific focus was on membrane design/mechanics and storage tube design
Membrane design:
Teardrop shape to encourage the folding of the membrane into the tube
Semi-rigid reinforcements woven into back of membrane to control folding (i.e. Origami-style)
Storage Tube design:
Wide eye-lid shape since folding primarily occurs at sides
Arc angle of 115° or 2 radians which is the equivalent of the diameter stretched around the baffle
Minimal radial protrusion (limited space within fairing)
Result: Created a prototype of a 0.5-meter baffle with every component attached that is fully functional
Project was awarded 1st place in the mechanical engineering capstone track by a group of jurors
There currently are plans to turn research into a publication at the end of the project
Client was excited about potential of this design as it could prove to be even more effective with scaled up designs
April - July 2023
FPV Drone
Problem: A dream I have had for as long as I knew they existed was to own a drone in order to improve the variety of shots in my photography/videography portfolio
Action:
Researched various types of FPV drones in order to guide part selection and fit photographic capabilities
Collaborated with various vendors to optimize part selection
January-May 2023
Electric Skateboard
Problem: I enjoy riding my electric skateboard (boosted board) but wanted to have more customization regarding speed and torque. I live on a hill and often struggle to make it up with my prebuilt board
Action:
Researched the anatomy of electric skateboards to best understand what parts could be improved to support my style of riding
Tuned the ESC (electric speed controller)
Used a dual-controlled ESC so only one needed to be tuned
Defined maximum amperage and voltage values based on battery and motor specs
Calculated necessary gear ratio to maximize torque and keep top speed at a safe amount
Motor pulley with 16 teeth and wheel pulley with 40 teeth
Keeps top speed under 30mph
Provides high torque for going uphill
Soldered XT90 connectors to battery and ESC wires
Practiced good cable management practices with heat shrink tubing and zipties
Efficiently packed battery, ESC, battery management system into enclosure
Contacted multiple vendors prior to purchasing parts to optimize off-the-shelf part selection
Result: Created a fully functional remote-controlled electric skateboard
Parts used:
10S3P Molicel Li-Ion battery
2 6355 190 Kv motors
DV6 Pro Dual 180A ESC
Drop Testing Fixture
Problem: SimpliSafe had a variety of product lines that differed in sizes and weights and after trying to drop test a few products, I realized there was no consistent testing method.
Action: Poled the entire mechanical engineering team and created a design based on their feedback
Managed a budget and schedule for the project from start to finish
Researched variety of dropping mechanisms
Designed door to minimize mass/angular inertia while still used for every product line
Modeled latch door system using angular dynamics equations
Needed door to move completely out of the way of the falling object
Result: The fixture uses two electromagnets to hold a spring-loaded door that can be deactivated to drop out before
April-June 2022
January-May 2022
PIR Lens Testing Fixture
Problem: Testing PIR lenses for sensors at SimpliSafe was wildly imprecise, as it required the technician to manually hold the lens in between the sensor and emitter providing inconsistent results.
Action: Designed fixture assembly for sensor, lens, and emitter to allow for easy testing
Included thumbscrew to adjust spacing without touching parts
Created enclosed box to hold Arduino and cables to connect to sensor and emitter
Bought off-the-shelf and 3D Printed parts using a Stratasys PolyJet 3D printer
Result: Fixture is in use to rapidly test lenses. Future iterations of the design will be designed to fit other lenses and optical equipment for other product lines.
2-Axis Bearing Loaded Camera Mount
Problem: Mounting my camera directly to my tripod doesn't allow easy panning during videos as it tends to stick/have inconsistent sliding.
Action: Created mount that used 2 bearings to allow rotation in multiple different directions. Allows 360-degree rotation around base and 180 degrees about the alternative axis
Modeled parts on SolidWorks based on camera dimensions as well as off-the-shelf parts.
Analyzed design using SolidWorks FEA
Result: Camera mount works well when brought out to less time-dependent shoots. Want to make smaller and more portable for next iteration