Hi, my name is Raymond and I’m a sophomore at Will Rice College studying Mechanical Engineering (and potentially minoring in Engineering Design). I’m fascinated by mechanics and moving parts, and I’ve recently been involved with the Rice Robotics Club in developing a jumping cat robot. On the side, I love music and arts, and I’ve done a fair amount of drawing, painting, and piano playing.

me :]
One thing I’ve made that I’d like to share is a prototype spring-powered model plane launcher, which I worked on with a team in ENGI 120. While the prototype did have some issues, it was one of my first times creating something so functional out of such high-fidelity materials, and with such a small team. Testing the system in an empty lot and seeing it launch a mock plane for the first time (at five in the morning) was definitely surreal…

launch rail!
Something I’d be especially interested in making would be a musical instrument, or some kind of legged-robot. I just find these (seemingly distant) items particularly interesting, and I feel they each combine elements of being cool, expressive, and useful, i.e. perfect for making.
As a result, something I’d really like to learn in ENGI/EDES 210 would be computer machining. It’s something I’ve always thought of as somewhat complex and daunting, but also very useful (if not essential) for an engineer who wants to make stuff precisely.