I wanted my dartboard setup to look like a centerpiece rather than just a board on a wall, so I designed and built a custom backer board that combines woodworking, electronics, and felt! (it also protects my wall from errant throws!) The first step was to make the foam and felt panel to surround the dart board. I framed the panel with maple pieces that I cut on a CNC router and added some flair with addressable LEDs controlled by an ESP32 running WLED. Finally, I 3D printed a custom housing to hold the electronics and an additional light to illuminate the dartboard itself. This project was a really fun mix of skills; woodworking, CNC routing, soldering, programming, and 3D printing all coming together to make something functional and eye-catching.

In December 2022, I designed and built a pickup winding machine as a Christmas gift, capable of winding single-coil and humbucker pickups for electric guitars. The machine combined motor control and a turn-counting mechanism via an Arduino Nano with a laser cut frame to ensure consistent results for high-quality pickup production. The video below covers more details on the specifics and operation of the machine, which is currently used by Mad Jones Guitars.

For a senior capstone project in the Brown Design Workshop, I worked with my partner to create an automatic window opener. The system responded to temperature and humidity while incorporating physical and electronic safeguards to prevent accidents. Designed to be low-profile and unobtrusive, the project required woodworking, 3D printing, traditional milling, and soldering to build a discreet yet functional mechanism. This project enhanced my skills with integrating sensors and actuators while balancing functionality with aesthetics. Plus I learned a lot about different types of windows!

As I became more interested in videography, I set out to design a motorized camera slider that could create smooth, repeatable tracking and panning shots. Using an Arduino Nano, three stepper motors, and a custom aluminum chassis, I developed a system capable of setting start/stop points, adjusting movement speed, and looping—all controlled with a single encoder/button and an LCD screen. While I never fully finished the project, I successfully built a functional prototype and designed my first custom PCB to neatly organize the components. Throughout the process, I gained valuable experience with stepper motor control, PCB design, and integrating mechanical and electronic systems. Even though it remains an unfinished project, I’m especially proud of how much functionality I was able to achieve with minimal inputs.