I build robots, design mechanical parts, and work on nuclear tooling, ranked in ascending order of paperwork.

B.Eng. Mechatronics Engineering Co-op (Level III), McMaster University

Available for a Spring 2027 co-op.

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Projects

Quadruped Robot & Locomotion Sim

A 12-servo, 3D-printable quadruped designed in Fusion 360, exported to URDF and simulated in MuJoCo. A trot gait controller makes it stand, walk and turn in place, and drives the real servos through a PCA9685 board on a Raspberry Pi. It walks perfectly in simulation, where friction always behaves.

Python, MuJoCo, Fusion 360, Raspberry Pi Repo

Double Wishbone Suspension (Concept)

Proof-of-concept double wishbone geometry in SolidWorks for McMaster Chem-E-Car's 2026–2027 season. Nothing is built yet: the point was to work out the kinematics and see how the linkage could control dynamic camber to keep a 500 mL sloshing payload stable over a 33 m run. More suspension than a straight line strictly needs, but the camber curves are worth it.

SolidWorks, kinematics, vehicle dynamics

WheelSafe Storage

An ergonomic, weatherproof wheelchair storage module designed for a client with spina bifida. The 0.4 kg carbon-fiber-reinforced structure reached a 3.25:1 load-to-weight ratio. Placed top 3 of 200+ teams at the McMaster Design Showcase.

Autodesk Inventor, client prototyping, carbon fiber

WheelSafe Storage

Vision-Guided 2-DOF Robotic Arm

Built in 12 hours, about as long as SolidWorks takes to open. A real-time OpenCV hand-tracking pipeline streams coordinate deltas over UDP to an ESP32, which turns them into smooth stepper motor pulses.

OpenCV, ESP32, C++, UDP

Globe Ghost — iOS GPS Simulator

Sets an iPhone's actual GPS location, not just its IP address like a VPN does, for testing location-aware apps. Includes a live map, scripted routes and a geofence tester. Find My now thinks I've been to California.

Python, pymobiledevice3, OpenStreetMap Repo

Globe Ghost — iOS GPS Simulator

Misc

Click any image to enlarge.

Chem-E-Car transmission
Quadruped CAD Assembly
Quadruped assembly
Leg Linkage
Leg linkage
HV discharge test
Accidental Antenna
Accidental RF antenna
Globe Ghost Field Test
Globe Ghost field test
Rebuilt Dell
Rebuilt Dell server
First POST
New build, first boot

Experience

Jan 2026 – present

Nuclear Engineering Intern, Eclipse Automation

Tooling design and verification for CANDU sites, including Pickering and international stations. Performed ASD calculations and weldment FEA, wrote FMEAs, and tested CSA N299.2-rated tooling. Nuclear turns out to be roughly 10% tooling, 90% paperwork.

Sep 2026 – present

Mechanical Sub-team Member, Wheel Assembly, McMaster Chem-E-Car

Designing custom wheel assemblies and suspension geometry for the 2026–2027 car, to keep 500 mL of water from sloshing over a 33 m run. Overkill, but the geometry checks out.

2024

Top 3 Finalist, ENGINEER 1P13 Showcase, McMaster University

Placed top 3 of 200+ teams with a carbon-fiber wheelchair storage unit, presented to a panel of P.Eng judges, and survived the questions.

2023 – present

B.Eng., Mechatronics Engineering Co-op (Level III), McMaster University

Statics, dynamics, embedded systems, circuit theory, and math that feels made up until co-op needs it.

Skills

Hardware

STM32, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, PCA9685 / motor drivers, NI Multisim, soldering, 3D printing

CAD & simulation

SolidWorks (CSWA), Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360, FEA, MuJoCo, FlexPDE

Software

Python (OpenCV), C / C++, MATLAB / Simulink, Julia, SMath, Maple, Power Automate Misc scripts

Industry

CSA N299.2 / N299.3, FMEA & FAT plans, GD&T, ASD verification, project engineering, technical writing, WHMIS / LOTO

Certifications

Oct 2026

Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA), Dassault Systèmes ID C-TVPDAF78ML Verify

Oct 2026

Claude Code 101, Anthropic Academy Verify

Resume

One page; every bullet had to earn its spot. Covers nuclear tooling at Eclipse Automation, wheel and suspension design for Chem-E-Car, and legged-robot and computer vision projects.

PDF, one page, updated Oct 2026. Download or open it in a new tab.

Resume

Art

Painting, drawing, printmaking and carving. Click any piece to enlarge.

Toned Back Study Floral Heads Live Figure Drawing Half Dead Portrait Dental Study Flayed Skull Block Print Skull Pink Rose Everything Is Fine Wood Lizard Lake Reflection Utility Box Install

Contact

© 2026 Daniel Zhang. Previous version of this site