who am I?

I like to build stuff - collecting ideas, making drawings, machining parts, testing, modifying, breaking, revising. I like vehicles because they're fun to control.

projects

Rex II - Remote controlled unmanned submarine system. Complete mechanical, electrical, and software design. Odyssey IV - Hovering / cruising autonomous submarine, capable of diving to 6000 meters. Design of tail fin assembly, liquid electronic cooling system, side and front fairings, sensor mounts. Fabrication of custom lithium ion battery, and repeated dis- and re-assembly of the whole vehicle. Reef Explorer - A small submarine, capable of autonomous behavior or remote control. Live video can be streamed back over a radio link. Complete mechanical design, including the thrusters, a winch, a float, and the frame. Toyota Pickup front suspension - Coil-over conversion for the front axle. Involved CAD design, purchasing of hardware, cutting & welding frame rails and axle, machining components, and testing and assembly. Nissan Pickup front suspension - Similar to the Toyota suspension, but for my brother's truck. He did most of the design and fabrication, I just helped with some of the CAD drawings. Prototype heliostat - A high-precision solar concentrator. Designed to near the optical limit of light concentration. Complete mechanical design, assembly, and testing. Included a test setup for measuring light distribution at the focus (not easy when most things at the target burst into flames). Honda CRX / Acura Integra Hybridization - Disassembly of both cars, then merging the best of both. Engine rebuild, adapting power steering, rear axle, and transmission.

activities

I've managed to meet some people. I like to play with vehicles. Every now and then I travel. I've also held down a few jobs.

current possessions

pickup truck (in storage), bicycle, computer, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, pillow, 2 boxes of clothing, shoes, textbooks, camera, cell phone, bag of automotive tools, GPS, tent, camping stove, toiletries, electric razor, box of sentimental items