Mason Kaufman Email & Phone Number

Frisco, Tx, Us

- Continue to provide ongoing technical guidance, advice, and assistance as the team work on improvements to the design for future events

Reno, Nevada, United States

- Directed cross-functional subteams, ensuring on-time achievement of project goals through efficient resource allocation.- Implemented robust documentation practices & promoted collaboration & communication, establishing a foundation for continued development and success- Achieved a 43% reduction in weight over initial design of the chassis, resulting in a final mass of 37kg while greatly enhancing torsional rigidity (2.7 kN-m/deg verified experimentally). Allowing us to achieve our goal all our performance metrics- Designed an aero-package capable of producing 530 N of downforce and 117 N of drag at only 35 mph, with a drag reduction system capable of reducing drag an additional 26% while maintaining nearly 91% of downforce thanks to many hours of optimization, CFD, and scale testing- Created multi-objective optimization program in Matlab to simulate kinematics & determine optimal suspension geometry- Spearheaded the design of a modular vehicle upright platform that prioritized adjustability for testing & promoting design flexibility for future iterations. I was also able to save the team over $7000 by implementing significant redesigns that allowed the parts to be machined in house- Produced a custom ESP32 based thermal monitoring circuit, which ensures safe operation of our incredibly compact, 693 cell battery enclosure by implementing bit shifting to monitor 8 independent ADC chips through a multiplexer, communicating over CAN to the rest of the system- Implemented an advanced data acquisition, telemetry system to gather valuable performance data during testing and competition events, enabling the team to better understand the current design and make data-driven decisions for further optimization and future iterations- Implemented custom firmware for the Vehicle Control Unit with logic that given steering angle input, pedal travel, GPS data, inertial measurements, wheel speeds, motor RPM, torque, and comparison to a prediction algorithm, modulates power

Seattle, Washington, United States

- Provided organizational leadership and design direction while managing overall scope, schedule, budget and long-term team goals- Led weekly team meetings in addition to attending and supporting all subteam meetings, and regular design briefings, slowly establishing the collective experience and body of knowledge the team was missing- Implemented creative problem solving solutions to overcome limited resources, including funding and testing limitations- Performed extensive CFD and FEA analysis using ANSYS to investigate the complex airflow and potential transonic effects necessary to validate the feasibility of our novel modular hybrid ring-fin system, which allows for adjustment to the location of the center of pressure depending on mission and payload parameters, significantly aiding the team in the development of new experimental payloads- Led development of guidance and navigation system for an autonomously controlled parafoil recovery system with long-range tracking and telemetry, capable of a delivering a resource-constrained 4 kg payload deployed at 10,000 ft to within 100 ft of a designated landing zone- Fabricated a custom filament wound carbon fiber fuselage for evaluation of potential weight reductions without sacrificing strength- Managed project schedule, BOM, budget, and compliance with all rules and regulations (including ITAR and FAA restrictions)- Established local organization with fellow team members to provide project-based learning opportunities for students

Seattle, Washington, United States

- Improved handling responsiveness, traction under acceleration, and enabled an overall weight reduction of 48 lbs- Designed integrated inboard braking system with SolidWorks to improve suspension response over rough terrain by reducing unsprung weight by 22 lbs and increased maneuverability in corners through optional isolated wheel braking- Increased vehicle stability by lowering the center of mass more than 2 inches through a complete redesign of drivetrain assembly

Bachelor'S Degree, Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Theta Tau Professional Co-ed Engineering Fraternity, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Minor, Unmanned Autonomous Systems