Personal Projects

MIVINCI is an educational robotic arm kit I developed to help students explore the fundamentals of robotics through hands-on learning. Designed as a comprehensive tool, it introduces key concepts in mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. Step-by-step instructions guide users through assembling each part of the robot. Once built, the arm can be controlled remotely via a web interface with live video feedback, or manually using a Wii Nunchuck. The goal: make learning robotics engaging, accessible, and fun for kids. 

To learn more, you can visit our webpage at http://www.dylandrotman.com/mivinci

Trends Journal: Spring Edition 05-2014 Page 39

As part of my undergraduate senior design project, I collaborated with a team to develop a 4× scale working prototype of a microalignment device for Delta Design. The stage was engineered to achieve precise motion within a ±2 mm range in the X, Y, and θ (theta) directions, enabling high-accuracy alignment for micro-scale applications. 

In this robotics competition, four bouncy balls were placed on top of acrylic buildings, each assigned a different point value. The objective was to retrieve the balls and place them into designated bins within a set time limit. The team with the highest total points at the end won the challenge. It was a great experience that taught me a key lesson: simple solutions often work best.

This Mini Dyno was one of the research projects I worked on in the UCSD Coordinated Robotics Lab.  The Mini Dyno was used to characterize small DC motors by measuring and recording voltage, current, speed and temperature.  I worked on the mechanical design, wiring, and circuit diagram for this project.  This project is now used as an educational tool in the MAE undergraduate course used for robotics.  It is also being used by National Instruments as a tool for showing the performance of their DAQ. 

I built a photovore robot which is just a robot that's afraid of the dark.  It uses light as the input and and depending on the intensity of the light the robot approaches, it adjusts the output voltage. The varying voltage changes the direction of two modified continuously rotating servos.  From the video, you can see that as the robot approaches the shadows, the robot changes direction.  This allows the robot to be object-avoidant as well.  I also adjusted the coding so the robot was afraid of the light. I learned a lot from this project relating to wiring and circuit design. 

I built a low-cost walking hexapod robot out of simple everyday materials. The robot uses a tripod gait similar to other six-legged creatures.

In my entrepreneurship class, we were instructed to develop a product that would prevent cell phones from disrupting other passengers while they were riding on an airplane.  I decided to create a prototype that prevents passengers from talking above a certain decibel level.  If someone does talk above that limit ,an LED light will turn on, a buzzer will go off, and the device will shock the passenger.   I modeled the shocking element after Tickle Me Elmo™ by using a modified continuous rotating servo with a weight on one end.  

Bike locks are a common way to secure your bike,  but what about skateboards? boardHitch is a company we developed to provide skateboarders with the option to lock their board.  This is the product we developed in my classmates and I developed in out entreprenurship class. We developed a simple, low profile design that attaches directly to one of the skateboard trucks.  It provides a loop large enough to allow any bike lock to fit through giving riders the option to lock their board to any post.  The loop is secured to the board using standard longboard hardware.  Our first prototype can be seen on our company facebook page.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boardHitch

If you would like to learn more about the projects I worked on, you can either refer to my resume, LinkedIn account at the top of the page, or shoot me an email.