The following is a small assortment of projects from my time at Tufts University; not in order, but primarily from my junior and senior years. The list excludes projects from the Tufts Rocketry team. For those, visit the Rocketry section above.
Cryogenic Motion Control
with Tahseen Arefeen & Nico Zucchi
and SLAC National Accelerator Lab
- CAD & Mechanism Design
- Temperature Simulation and Analysis
- Python, Electronics & Circuitry
Summary
- Partnered with peers and SLAC to design a precise hoist for actuating an instrument for dark matter research
- Low-fidelity prototype was able to achieve sub-millimeter precision in positioning
- Performed research justifying theoretical operation at cryogenic temperatures with minimal heat transfer
Autonomous Operation Game
with Saurabh Pal & Douglas Lilly
- CAD & Mechanism Design
- Electronics & Circuitry
- Python & OpenCV
Summary
- Worked with teammates to create a robot capable of autonomously playing the game Operation
- Used OpenCV (via an external camera) to locate the game piece and retrieve it with a custom electromagnet on a motorized gantry crane
Sewing Machine Analysis
with Braeden Wong & Michael Wu
- CAD & Mechanism Design
- System Analysis
- Reverse-Engineering
Summary
- Tore down a handheld sewing machine, documenting process and analyzing each component (function, material, manufacturing process, etc.)
- Created a high-quality SolidWorks model of the machine from caliper measurements
Design for Deflection
with Calder Mazel & Joseph Heimerl
- CAD
- Stress & Deflection Simulation
- Mechanical Testing
Summary
- Given size, shape, and mounting constraints, created an aluminum piece that needed to predictably deflect close to 0.5″
- Designed a SolidWorks FEA model with a custom mesh which estimated a 0.45″ deflection
- Water-cut design and tested on Instron press; deflected 0.4506″ under load (just 0.1% more than simulated)
Remote-Control Car
with Robert Gonzalez
- CAD & Mechanism Design
- Electronics & Circuitry
- Python
Summary
- Created a remote-control car using a control Pi with a gamepad and a receiver Pi on the car talking over MQTT
- Designed an attractive, lightweight frame from laser-cut plywood
- Integrated other features such as addressable headlights, turn signals, and an ultrasonic distance sensor
Smart Thermometer
Solo Project
- CAD
- Electronics & Circuitry
- Python & OpenCV
Summary
- Created a smart thermometer with a thermistor calibrated using the Steinhart-Hart model
- Designed a sleek housing with multiple ways of displaying temperature data
- Adafruit dashboard also displayed temperature data received via MQTT
Composite Rocket Nose Cones
with Javier Hurtado & Matt Cartmell
- Composite Materials Manufacturing
- Stress Simulations
- Heat & Stress Testing
Summary
- Investigated adding a carbon fiber layup to high-power model rocketry nose cones, which are often plastic
- Just three layers of CF applied to a nose cone withstood four times the force under static load on an Instron press, proving to bean affordable (albeit messy) modification
- The modified cone also withstood landing impact tests flawlessly while the plastic cone was destroyed (a common source of failure for model rocket launches)
