Design Portfolio

Upcoming builds and previous projects.

Projects

Placeholder image for the Inverted Pendulum Control System project

Inverted Pendulum Control System

Built a cart-pendulum testbed from first principles, linearized the dynamics, and tuned an LQR controller in MATLAB for upright stabilization. Integrated encoder feedback, Arduino-based control, and practical compensation for saturation, friction, and sensor noise.

Placeholder image for the Controlled Compression Testing Machine project

Controlled Compression Testing Machine

Developed an instrumented compression rig with actuator loading, load-cell sensing, and synchronized Python data acquisition for force-displacement testing. The resulting datasets fed MATLAB impact models to evaluate stiffness, energy absorption, and deformation behavior.

Handmade Cedar Rocking Chair + Matching Side Table

Custom build - January 2026

Woodworking
Rocking chair on the deck CAD rendering of the rocking chair

Over winter break, I had some downtime and wanted to make something meaningful using our wood shop. We only had one rocking chair on our deck, so building a second felt like a practical place to start. I designed the chair in SolidWorks with custom dimensions to fit my frame, focusing on clean lines and a simple, functional form. Once the design was finalized, I fabricated the chair in the wood shop. Assembly took two days, followed by additional time for staining and finishing. This was my first piece of wood furniture, and I’m proud of how it turned out. The chair is built from cedar for its natural rot resistance and finished with an exterior-grade coating to protect it from weather exposure. Stainless steel fasteners were used throughout to prevent corrosion and staining from rain or humidity.

CanKrusher Project Announcement

Status: Coming Soon — December 2025.

Prototype

The CanKrusher is a fully automated recycling system designed for convenience and sustainability. The only user interaction steps are: plug in, set can in, empty recyling bin when full.

Engineered with a compact footprint suitable for countertop use and powered by an electric actuator system, it automates the crushing of aluminum cans into thin discs with minimal user input. The design features a 6-can magazine, adaptive sizing for standard, tall, and skinny cans, and a smooth automatic cycle triggered by onboard sensors. Built from precision-cut components and oak framing, the project blends an automated mechanical function with aesthetic craftsmanship. This prototype fixes your constantly overfilled recycling bins, while maintaining a satisfying and asthetically pleasing experience for the user. Currently in final development, it represents an intersection of prototyping, automation, and product design aimed at both consumer and small commercial use.

Quick Notes

  • Focus: Make recylcing fun to encourage sustainability.
  • Next Milestone (1): Integrate upgraded electronics system and reduce to one wall outlet plug (currently 2 plugs).
  • Next Milestone (2): Address jamming issue when cycling through cans of different sizes. This should be a quick geometric-related fix to the laser cut magazine.
  • Next Milestone (3): Stain the wood and laser engrave with logo.
  • Call to Action: Show this to your friends and contact me for suggestions or information.

Homemade Shotgun Sling

Making For Innovation Project

Fabrics
Sling

My homemade shotgun sling was made for a fabrics project in the Making for Innovation class at UNL. I made this out of brown canvas, cotton padding, nylon webbing, elastic strap, and shotgun sling amounts. This project took me about four hours to complete with little knowledge of how to use a sewing machine. I first took rough measurements by mocking it up against my shoulder to see the length of sling I would need. Then I sewed on the elastic strap to hold the shells and made the inner padding section as shown in the video. For the outer layer I sewed a tube then rolled it inside out so sewing seam was hidden. Then I sewed all the pieces together and it turned out better than expected.

3D Printed Phone Holder for Car Vent

Making For Innovation Project

3D Printing
Phone Mount

My 3D printing project in the Making For Innovation class was a phone holder for a vehicle air vent. The idea was to have a 3D print that holds a phone securely through several flanges that pinch onto the air vent fins. This worked very well at first however since PLA is a thermoplastic, once the heat is turned on in the car, the flanges on the back warped and no longer fit securely. A different plastic material needs to be considered in the redesign of this project.

Laser Engraved Desk Organizer

Making For Innovation Project

Laser Engraver
Laser Engrave Laser Engrave

My laser engraving project in my Making for Innovation class was a laser engraved desk organzier. Previously, my desk was a mess and this helps make it easier to find things.

New Website

Status: September 2025.

Web
Website icon

This website is one of my recent projects that was recommended by one of my professors. The goal is to have a landing page that summarizes me as a young engineer to let the world know a little bit about myself, my interests, and what I've been up to.

The workflow of creating my website started out by looking at other people's personal website portfolios online. I then created my own style using Github to create my main HTML. I then created my CSS file to get the website looking how I wanted it to. From there I started building out my other website pages such as research, books, social and kept updating and iterating as I went. Once it started to look nice I bought my domain on Squarespace to make it my own.

Creating this website has been a great learning curve as I had zero experience with HTML's before. Just as I like building projects in the physical world I enjoyed creating this virtual and online project as well. I hope people will use this as a resource learn more about me and reach out to have conversation over similar interests!

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