Projects
Class and personal projects I have worked on or am working on.
Current Projects
Swarming Drones: Autonomous Circling Experiment
Personal Project
Planned September 2025 Onward
Charlottesville, VA
An individual future robotics project aimed at creating a pair of small drones that autonomously fly in circular patterns around one another. The idea stems from my experience with Crazyflie drones and ROS2-based stabilization. My goal is to create a visually impressive and technically sound demonstration of swarm behavior, ultimately scaling towards a system where drones follow and hover above a person in real-time. This is equal parts robotics challenge and personal benchmark to surpass my previous academic robotics work.
Visualized on the left is the Crazyflie v2.1 drone.
Skills: ROS2, swarm robotics, motion planning, drone control, Linux-based development, robotic drone hardware, embedded systems
Reverse Engineering: Microwave Teardown
Personal Project
July 2025 - Present
Charlottesville, VA
A two person ongoing personal lab for reverse engineering electronics. Our first teardown was a household microwave. We safely researched and disassembled the unit and documented internal components, including the magnetron, HV transformer board, control board, and several standard components (motors, LED, controllers). Future plans include repurposing components for projects like a Jacob's ladder, fractal wood burning, Tesla coil, or possibly radar experiments. This is the first in a series of exploratory hardware disassembles aimed at sharpening my reverse engineering instincts and gaining insight into consumer electronics.
Visualized on the right are the microwave (top), HV transformer board (bottom left), and the magnetron with other components (bottom right).
Skills: Hardware teardown, general electrical safety, high voltage discharge, component identification, reverse engineering, systems thinking, technical documentation
Analog Theremin Build
Personal Project
June 2024 - Present
Charlottesville, VA
A two person hands-on analog electronics project focused on building a fully functional Theremin from scratch. We have implemented a working Colpitts oscillator, designed and tested a Sallen-Key low-pass filter with a Butterworth response, and prototyped an envelope detector. We are experimenting with different oscillator architectures and plan to refine the pitch/volume control and housing after. The project is teaching me practical circuit design, debugging, troubleshooting real-world electronic components, and analog signal processing through iteration and retesting.
Visualized on the left are several oscillator, low-pass filter, and envelope detector prototypes.
Skills: Analog circuit design, oscillators, filters (Sallen-Key, Butterworth), breadboarding, envelope detection, test equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, power supply, RLC tester), audio electronics
Past Projects
Autonomous Mobile Robots Final: Fetch Behavior
August 2024 - December 2024
University of Virginia
Programmed a Turtlebot 4 to autonomously play fetch using ROS2 and Python. Collaborated with a team of four to integrate perception, path planning (A*, gradient descent), and behavior logic. The robot detected and retrieved a thrown ball, then returned it to the user to repeat the cycle. Gained experience with LiDAR, sensor fusion, and real-time control in ROS2.
Our Team's final project won 2nd Place out of 10 groups in the class
We additionally programmed the Turtlebot previously to participate in the annual class competition, where we demonstrated our results along peers. Featured in this UVA article covering the event (photo with me included!).
Skills: Python, ROS2, TurtleBot 4, LiDAR, sensor fusion, path planning (A*, gradient descent, grassfire, and mapping), real-time control, team collaboration
Whiplash ECE Capstone Project
August 2022 - December 2022
University of Virginia
As part of a five person electrical and computer engineering team, I helped design and build an autonomous drumming device that plays along to music in real time. We developed the system to detect beats from an aux input using a custom DSP algorithm written in C and deployed on a TI MSP432 microcontroller. I led the mechanical design and 3D modeling using FreeCAD, producing a fully enclosed housing that integrated the servos, PCB, power systems, and fan cooling. The printed housing featured a servo reset mechanism and organized cable routing for a clean internal layout. Our custom PCB handled signal and power distribution to drive servos, which struck the drum in time with the parsed beats.
Skills: C, MSP432 programming, digital signal processing, embedded systems, FreeCAD, 3D printing, PCB design, servo motor control, power systems
Experimental Robotics Project
August 2022 - December 2022
University of Virginia
Collaborated in a team of three electrical and computer engineering students to design and prototype a mobile robot capable of remote operation, perception, and location awareness. The robot was equipped with camera for visual input sensors for localization, and an Arduino-based control system that interfaced with a joystick via ROS. We implemented a 2D object recognition and AR tag tracking for spatial awareness built a custom charging dock with LED indicators, and tested SLAM mapping using a D435i and T265 camera pair. The robot was able to navigate a mapped environment under manual control and successfully dock with a charging station. Despite setbacks with hardware reliability and network issues, the system demonstrated strong perception capabilities and laid the groundwork for future autonomous navigation.
Skills: ROS, Arduino, object recognition, AR tag tracking, joystick teleoperation, SLAM planning (RTAB-Map), D435i/T265 camera control, Linux, Ubuntu
Electrocardiogram Circuit
January 2022 - May 2022
University of Virginia
Led a team of three electrical and computer engineering students to simulate, build, and test an electrocardiogram (EKG) circuit. The system measured heart rate signals from wrist electrodes and used an ankle ground reference, with signal flow passing through four major subsystems: power regulator, instrumentation amplifier, antialiasing filter, and isolator. I co-developed the PCB layout in NI Ultiboard and verified functionality via simulations in NI Ultisim. My contributions included component selection and gain calculations for the instrumentation amplifier, VMid network, and isolator; continuity and functional testing across all stages; and authoring core documentation and filtering code. The completed PCB accurately captured real-time heartbeat signals and successfully isolated them for safe analysis, with digital post-processing used to filter and visualize results.
Skills: Analog circuit design, NI Multisim, NI Ultiboard, PCB fabrication, instrumentation amplifiers, signal isolation, data filtering, power regulation, documentation
Transformer Design
January 2022 - March 2022
University of Virginia
This project focused on designing an optimized transformer given detailed electrical and geometric constraints. I developed a Python algorithm to iterate through combinations of magnetic field strength (B) and current density (J) in order to maximize efficiency while meeting design specs. Using provided lamination and bobbin geometry, as well as a wire gauge table, the program selected optimal wire sizes and turns ratios. The simulation calculated losses, voltage regulation, and core characteristics to produce a model transformer suitable for manufacturing. The final design received 88.7% efficiency with acceptable core and copper losses, voltage regulation below 4%, and fully met all constraints.
Skills: Python, electromagnetics, power systems, transformer modeling, loss optimization, simulation, technical writing
Audio Analyzer Circuit
August 2021 - December 2021
University of Virginia
Led a team of three electrical and computer engineering students to simulate, build, and test an audio analyzer circuit built entirely from hardware. The analyzer detected treble and bass frequencies from a music input and lit two separate LEDs in sync with those ranges. The circuit featured a summing amplifier to combine stereo channels, Butterworth high-pass and low-pass filters (Sallen-Key architecture) for frequency separation, and precision peak detection using super diode circuits. Custom LED drivers were implemented using characterized MOSFETs and voltage divider biasing. The full design was simulated in NI Multisim and laid out in NI Ultiboard before physical assembly and testing.
Skills: Analog circuit design, PCB layout, op-amp configuration, frequency domain filtering, NI Multisim, NI Ultiboard, MOSFET biasing, hardware debugging
Meds for Pain: Workplace Injury and Opioid Deaths
March 2019 - May 2019
Hampden-Sydney College
Led a team of four math-economics students to investigate the relationship between workplace injury rates and opioid-related deaths. Conducted a deep empirical analysis using panel data across U.S. states, developing multiple econometric models including bivariate regressions, multivariate regressions, and two-way fixed effects models. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the results revealed a negative correlation, suggesting opioid deaths decreased as workplace injury rates increased, especially in Rust Belt states. We performed robustness checks, accounted for leverage points, and interpreted results to present policy recommendations. Our research suggested that policies may need to focus less on prescription control and more on the growing impact of illicit opioid sources. Findings were then presented to a panel of students and professors for feedback.
Skills: R, econometrics, regression analysis, fixed effects modeling, data visualization, public policy analysis, team leadership
The Mathematical Art of Tessellations
January 2018 - May 2019
Hampden-Sydney College
For my Honors capstone project, I explored the intersection of mathematics and creativity by studying tessellations, wallpaper groups, and plane symmetries. I developed a Python program that generates randomized art pieces by creating tiles with embedded patterns and transforming them using translation, rotation, mirroring, and glide-mirroring. Each tile belongs to one of seventeen wallpaper group classifications, and the program allows users to select transformation settings and output infinite variations. I also researched the historical and artistic relevance of tilings, including the work of M.C. Escher, and categorized generated patterns using crystallographic notation. All graphical patterns featured on my website were created using this program. The final research paper was written in LaTeX.
All patterns on my site were generated by this project.
Skills: Python, NumPy, PIL (Python Imaging Library), computational geometry, group theory, LaTeX
春节的现代意义 ("The Modern Meaning of Spring Festival")
October 2018 - December 2018
Hampden-Sydney College
An analytical essay written in Simplified Chinese exploring the evolving meaning of Spring Festival in modern China. The piece contrasts traditional practices (red banners, dumplings, and fireworks) with newer trends (family vacations, restaurant dining, digital red envelopes, 红包). it weaves historical and mythological context with modern social commentary and includes interviews with native Chinese speakers. The essay ultimately reflects on how cultural continuity persists even as the methods of celebration modernize.
Skills: Simplified Chinese, cross-cultural analysis, interview-based research, historical context writing, cultural anthropology