About Me
Hi! I'm Ben, a reliability engineer living in San Francisco, CA, and working at Skydio.
I enjoy designing, building, and testing all things related to electronics, embedded systems, and anything that might move.
I use CAD, 3D printers, microcontrollers, and everything in between to create projects I find interesting. I enjoy working on RC cars, robots, drones, avionics, and much more.
I grew up in San Leandro, Calfornia, and started attending Montana State University in the fall of 2018.
I graduated in May 2022 with a B.S. in Computer Engineering.
The technologies I work with include (but are not limited to):
- MCUs, FPGAs, Single Board Computers
- C#, C, Python, Java
- PSpice, KiCAD, OnShape, Fusion360
- Displays. Reflective, diffractive optics
Project Gallery
3d Printed RC Car
This project is a fully custom 3d printed RC car. The entire structure and drivetrain was designed in OnShape, and 3d printed on a BambuLabs P1S. The car is roughly 1/8 scale, measuring 60cm long and over 3.5 kg. It is capable of going over 45 mph, and demonstrates solid CAD skills and general mechanical engineering concepts.
GitHub
Raspberry Pi Model BART Train
This project is a custom designed and built third rail powered model train inspired by the BART system. It has a custom chassis, drivetrain, PCB, as well as software to enable autonomous navigation via RFID tags in the trackbed. The system is powered by a live third rail running at 5V DC, with a Raspberry Pi UPS to smooth out contact drops with the third rail.
GitHub
Realtime Audio Effect on FPGA
This project is a realtime audio effect (feedforward comb filter) implemented on a DE10-Nano FPGA, done for EELE 468 (FPGAs II) at Montana State University. It showcases full stack FPGA skills, including simulink HDL generation, MATLAB verification of HDL, custom hardware drivers, kernel modules, and proficiency in Linux development.
GitHub
Raspberry Pi Based RC Car
This is a remote controlled car based on two Raspbery Pi 4B+ single board computers. It utilizes the Raspberry Pi's remote GPIO functionality, and custom PCBs, showcasing skill in embedded systems, circuit design, PCB design, software design, and full stack completion.
GitHub - Demo Clip
MSP430 Based RC Car
This is a scale RC car based on the MSP430 platform, including the MSP430-2355 and MSP430-2310. It utilizes I2C communications between the two MCUs, and shows skill in embedded systems, circuit design, and low-level C programming. This was built for the EELE 465 Microcontrollers class at Montana State University.
GitHub
SuperCold - VR Game
SuperCold is a fast paced virtual reality shooter built for the Oculus Quest. It features a physical, skill based teleport system for unique and interactive locomotion, along with multiple weapons choices. The game is built in Unity3D on top of the Virtual Reality Toolkit system.
GitHub - SideQuest - YouTube
My Experience
Reliability and Test Engineer - Skydio
November 2024 - Current
- Own the planning, design, and execution of system and subsystem level tests for Skydio’s next generation outdoor radio access points
- Participate in design reviews, using test results to drive future changes in design for thermals, waterproofing, and structural strength
- Design and assemble environmental test fixtures to simulate variety of conditions, including freezing rain, heat, rain
Reliability and Test Technician - Skydio
November 2023 - November 2024
- Execute mechanical, software, electrical, and environmental tests on drones to ensure reliability of all systems
- Participate in product design reviews to give input on mechanical, environmental, and electrical reliability concerns
- Design and assemble custom test fixtures to mechanically cycle drone components in a way that simulates realistic loads
- Perform failure analysis on drones and controllers to find root causes of problems or incidents, and create written reports documenting findings
Outdoor Education Teacher
May 2022 - August 2023
I worked as an outdoor education teacher for the Caritas Creek program in Occidental, California. My main responsibilities included writing lesson plans and taking students on day-long hikes. During the hikes, I taught the students science lessons from the BEETLES
science curriculum. Working in this job vastly improved my communication and organization skills, as I worked very closely with 11 other teachers to ensure our groups all received similar content while not interfering with each other. I chose to work in this position
after college because the program meant a lot to me as a kid, and working with children to change their lives was important to me and my professional goals as an adult.
Research Assistant - HCI Lab at Montana State
September 2019 - May 2020
As a research assistant in the Human Computer Interaction Lab at MSU, I used a variety of software to design and
implement user interfaces for VR and AR platforms. I used C# and Unity3D to develop VR data logging applications and C to build body tracking apps for the Azure Kinect DK. The project is focused on
using augmented reality to improve worker efficiency when completing tasks with robotic assistants.
Prechool Aide - Montana State University CDC
Janurary 2021 - May 2022
Worked as a preschool aide at the Montana State University Child Development Center. Main responsibilities included supporting the main classroom teacher by working and playing with the kids, prepping activities, and cleaning throughout the day. Working here helped me
develop leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and further improve my abilities to work with, and support children, something I am very passionate about.