As said above, one of my favorite pastimes is repairing/upgrading the parts on my daily driver as it gracefully ages. I've done common servicing like oil changes, weatherstrip improvements, as well as more advanced projects. One of the most useful aspects I've grown experienced in is using OBD and CAN to diagnose/change aspects of the vehicle to my liking.As mentioned, my MINI isn't the most reliable vehicle, and I probably use OBD monthly to read codes it throws for parts needing replacement. On this specific vehicle, it has ranged from lights to engine temperature sensors to the heated seat regulators. From using OBD, I fell into a nerd tangent to solve a problem that I couldn't receive an accurate speed on the vehicle even when the speedometer was calibrated correctly. From learning about OBD I was introduced to CAN buses, and found out that a microcontroller was being used to alter the speed of the car to over-display the car's speed (ex. display 55mph when the vehicle is actually going 51mph). Using CAN I was able to turn off this specific function and correct the issue.

I concluded working on a joint project with BRG at Virginia Tech and GM that was examining nanomaterial-reinforced composites for 3D printing filaments for automotive parts. These aviation-grade components were mechanically tested and manufacturing processes were improved for better diameter homogeneity.

I had the privilege to work as a research assistant in a joint project with BRG and Ford analyzing carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRPs). The project's main goal was to predict and map fibers across parts. Strand analysis/prediction was done using MATLAB to evaluate potential stress concentration areas within the part.