Projects |

Firefighting Hardware Prototype

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gharib Group · Rapid Prototyping · Hardware Support · 2026

I support hardware development for a firefighting-related robotic prototype through mechanical assembly, part modification, fit checks, rapid iteration, and field demonstration preparation.

Rapid prototyping Mechanical assembly Hardware modification Fabrication Field testing

Project Work

This project focuses on fast hardware iteration for a firefighting-related robotic system. My role is primarily hands-on mechanical support: helping build, modify, and prepare prototype hardware as the system develops toward outdoor testing and demonstrations.

Assembled and modified prototype hardware for testing and demonstrations.
Supported rapid hardware changes as design needs shifted.
Helped prepare mechanical components for project-level testing.
Worked through practical fit and assembly issues during prototype development.
Supported prototype setup during an outdoor multi-platform field demonstration.

Field Demonstration

The system was demonstrated alongside aerial and ground robotic platforms during an outdoor field test, with prototype hardware deployed in a rugged, unstructured environment.

Tracked Prototype Platform Outdoor field deployment Support Vehicle Instrumented field platform Ground Robotics Multi-platform demonstration Deployment Hardware Field setup detail Aerial Platform Flight demonstration Hardware Detail Aerial system integration

Field Test Site Outdoor demonstration environment

Multi-Modal Air–Ground Robot Platform

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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Senior Thesis · Aerial Robotics · 2026–Present

I am developing hardware for a multi-modal air–ground robot platform, focusing on the aerial system, flight-control hardware, ESC/motor integration, two-servo deflector actuation, thrust-biasing deflector design, CFD-informed checks, and bench testing.

Multi-modal robotics Aerial hardware ESC/motor integration Flight-control hardware Servo actuation CFD checks Bench testing

Project Work

This senior thesis project focuses on building and testing the aerial hardware for a multi-modal air–ground robot platform. I work on the mechanical prototyping and system integration side, including custom quadrotor hardware, propulsion setup, ESC/motor integration, flight-control hardware, two-servo deflector actuation, and thrust-biasing deflector design.

My current work connects CAD, fabrication, wiring, assembly, CFD-informed design checks, and bench testing. I am iterating the platform based on packaging, fit, test behavior, and hardware integration constraints.

Hardware integration

Building and integrating drone-platform hardware for air–ground testing
Designing and fabricating structural components
Working through packaging, fit, wiring, and assembly constraints
Integrating ESCs, motors, servos, and flight-control hardware

Deflector and testing work

Designing thrust-biasing deflector concepts
Integrating two-servo deflector actuation
Using CFD-informed checks to compare design behavior
Running bench tests to evaluate thrust and drag tradeoffs

Technical Stack

SolidWorks 3D printing Fabrication ESCs Motors Servos Flight-control hardware ANSYS OpenFOAM Bench testing

Two-Stage Transmission Gearbox

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Mechanical Design · Transmission · 2025

I worked on a two-stage spur-gear transmission design by connecting MATLAB performance calculations, gear-ratio selection, SolidWorks CAD, keyed shaft and bearing design, machining planning, and PDR/CDR design review documentation.

SolidWorks MATLAB Gear trains Machining PDR/CDR

Project Work

This project focused on designing and reviewing a compact two-stage transmission. I worked on MATLAB performance modeling, gear-ratio selection, speed/torque/efficiency estimates, SolidWorks CAD, keyed shafts, bearings, gears, shaft supports, machining constraints, and PDR/CDR design review materials.

Technical Stack

MATLAB SolidWorks Gear trains Bearings Keyed shafts Machining Design reviews

Fixed-Wing Aerial Robot Sensing and Flight-Control Integration

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Gharib Group · Aerial Robotics · 2024–2025

I worked on a fixed-wing aerial robot test platform by integrating flight-control hardware, onboard computation, actuator systems, aerodynamic sensing, and ground-station communication.

Fixed-wing UAV Cube Orange+ Jetson ROS/MAVLink OptiTrack Wind-tunnel calibration

Project Report

Project report

X2 Fixed-Wing Aerial Robot Report

Open report

Technical Stack

ROS Noetic MAVLink/MAVROS QGroundControl Mission Planner Cube Orange+ Jetson Teensy OptiTrack Pressure sensing Wind-tunnel testing

Additional Media

Cryogenic Detector Instrumentation

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Golwala Group · Cryogenic Detectors · Summer 2024

I worked on cryogenic detector instrumentation for phonon-mediated kinetic inductance detectors, connecting detector geometry, phonon collection, CAD mounting, wire-bonded assembly, simulation, and Python-based resonator analysis. My work included kinetic inductance detector geometry changes, quasiparticle phonon-guide concepts, CAD mount redesign, wire-bonded assembly preparation, and Python resonance fitting to support improved phonon collection and resonator characterization.

Cryogenic detectors Kinetic inductance detectors Phonon collection CAD mount design Wire bonding Sonnet/simulation Python Least-squares fitting Resonator analysis

Report and Presentation

Project materials

Fermilab presentation and SURF final report

Open presentation Open report

Additional Media

Compact Water-Tunnel Flow Facility

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Gharib Group · Experimental Fluids · 2024

I worked on a compact low-Reynolds-number water-tunnel facility by supporting hardware integration, turbine-array control, electronics, power configuration, Arduino/PWM control, and PIV/dye-flow validation.

Water tunnel Low-Reynolds-number flow Turbine arrays Arduino C++ PWM control PIV Dye visualization

Project Snapshot

This project focused on improving a compact 2 × 1 meter water-tunnel facility with a 9 × 9 turbine array. The goal was to make a much smaller flow facility that could still support useful low-Reynolds-number experiments.

I worked on the hardware and control side of the setup, including electronics, wiring, power configuration, and Arduino/PWM control for the turbine array. I also helped develop matrix-style control for individual turbines and line-based control on a 3 × 3 array, with the structure intended to scale toward the full 9 × 9 array.

For validation, I used Particle Image Velocimetry and dye injection with UV light to look at the flow behavior. These tests helped show velocity profiles, shear-layer behavior, and Kármán vortex street patterns at different Reynolds numbers, with roughly 1–2% turbulence intensity.

For more details on the facility design, validation process, and results, the presentation below gives the fuller project walkthrough.

Water Tunnel in a Box

Open presentation

Additional Media

PILLARS Lunar Landing Shield

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

View PILLARS final paper

PILLARS was a NASA BIG Idea Challenge finalist concept developed through Caltech Air and Outer Space Club. The project focused on a plume-deployed inflatable landing shield designed to reduce abrasive lunar regolith disturbance during landing. I contributed to the proposal writing and dust modeling side of the project, working across lunar systems, regolith mitigation, aerospace concept design, and team proposal development.

Real-Time Vision and Motion Control

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Robotics · Computer Vision · Motion Control

I worked on a real-time camera-guided tracking system that used Python/OpenCV target detection and HEBI actuator control to move a pan–tilt platform smoothly.

Python OpenCV HEBI actuators Target tracking Pan–tilt control Spline-based motion

Project Work

This project connected computer vision, motion control, and hardware integration. I used Python/OpenCV to detect and track a target from camera input, then connected the visual target position to motion commands for a HEBI pan–tilt actuator setup. I also worked on smooth pan–tilt motion, live tracking tests, mechanical assembly, bracket setup, and tuning the system around practical hardware behavior.

Visual Decision Data Analysis

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Rangel Neuroeconomics Lab · Data Analysis · 2023

I analyzed behavioral and eye-tracking data from a visual search and choice experiment, using Python and regression analysis to study how item familiarity and attention affected decision behavior.

Python Pandas Matplotlib Regression analysis Data visualization Behavioral data Eye-tracking data Research poster

Project Work

This was my first research experience at Caltech through its First-Year Success Research Institute (FSRI) in the Rangel Neuroeconomics Laboratory. I cleaned and organized behavioral data, used Python for analysis and plotting, applied regression analysis to study attention and choice difficulty, and compared familiar versus novel item behavior. I presented the work through a research symposium and poster session.

Poster

Research poster

Differences in Visual Search and Choice Based on Item Familiarity

Open poster

Packing Machine and Product Design

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Wellatex INC. · Assembly Machine Management · Product Design · 2019–Present

At Wellatex INC., I worked on hands-on support for industrial mattress vacuum-packing machinery, product packaging, and operations. I helped assemble packing machinery, design palletized shipping boxes for 50+ product dimensions, and adjust pressure and sealing settings for different mattress sizes, thicknesses, and firmness levels.

I also supported the business and operations side of the company, including stock management, customer service, product documentation, translation, and communication with Chinese and Thai buyers. This included helping with product sizing workflows, storefront product descriptions, buyer communication, and Korean translation for factory and business documents.

This work was mostly about making the packing, shipping, and customer-facing process more reliable across many product configurations. The machine settings had to be adjusted carefully so products could be compressed and sealed efficiently without damage, while the packaging designs had to stay cost-effective for palletized shipping.