Project Portfolio 

Crayon Palette

The Creative Vision: Artistic Alchemy

Proposed by professional magician Felice Ling, this system reimagines a standard artist’s kit. Crayons magically appear and vanish at will, and uncolored sketches are instantaneously filled with vibrant color. The routine culminates in a fully realized drawing that can be handed to the audience for close inspection.

Technical Execution: Precision Theatrics

Subtractive Manufacturing: Custom-lathed HDPE components to achieve a "slip-fit" tolerance of <0.1mm, ensuring silent telescoping motion.

Kinetic Systems: Integration of industrial-grade retraction mechanisms for high-velocity, repeatable "vanish" effects.

Structural Optimization: An internal 25-degree slanted base designed in CAD to maximize storage (200+ units) within a slim 6mm profile.

Stage Levitation

The Creative Vision: Effortless Ascent

This project proposed by professional magician Evan Northrup aims to create a robust, portable stage illusion where a performer appears to levitate while seated on an unassuming bar stool. The goal was to transform a standard piece of furniture into a professional-grade apparatus that is compact enough for car transport but stable and convincing enough for live theatrical venues.

Technical Execution: High-Capacity Linear Mechatronics

Mechanical Concealment: Engineered a custom 4.6-inch wide stool leg that houses a high-torque linear actuator and dual parallel guide rails, reorienting the motor to the base to maintain a discrete, uniform appearance.

Advanced Mechatronics: Integrated an Arduino Nano with a BTS7960 high-power motor driver and wireless remote triggering, featuring a custom state-machine architecture for automated homing and motion-timeout safety.

High-Load Optimization: Verified through steady-state calculations a 1.2+ Factor of Safety for lifting a 300 lb dynamic load at a consistent speed of 0.5 in/sec.

Acoustic Signature: Utilized vibration-damping mounts to ensure operation does not exceed 40 dB, preserving the theatrical illusion even in silent room conditions.

The Levitating Rose

The Creative Vision: Artistic Alchemy

Commissioned by theatrical consultant Evan Northrup, this project brings the iconic "Beauty and the Beast" rose to life. The rose floats in mid-air within a Victorian display case, dropping its petals one by one in a meticulously choreographed sequence.

Technical Execution: Mechatronic Integration

Custom Electronics: A DMX-controlled 5V switching PCB designed in KiCad, utilizing an RS-485 transceiver and Arduino slave architecture.

Actuation Array: 12 push-pull solenoids characterized for <50ms latency to ensure perfect timing with theatrical light boards.

Environmental Engineering: A reinforced birch and frosted acrylic enclosure designed to withstand stage vibrations while concealing 100% of internal wiring.

The Morphing Portrait

The Creative Vision: Seamless Image Metamorphosis

Proposed by magician Felice Ling for high-stakes theatrical environments, this project investigates actively controlled mechanical motion concealed within an everyday object. The goal is a mechanically actuated picture frame capable of transitioning between three distinct images on command, replacing traditional optical trickery with a physical system that can withstand close inspection and physical interaction.

Technical Execution: Precision Mechanism Design & Perceptual Thresholds

Synchronized Scrolling Systems: Engineered a multi-column scrolling mechanism driven by coordinated stepper motors to prevent skew and ensure perfect image registration across repeated cycles.

Acoustic & Vibration Mitigation: Utilized quiet microstepping drivers and low-noise current control techniques to keep mechanical operation below the threshold of human hearing, ensuring the transition is perceptually invisible.

Mechatronic Integration: Developed a self-contained, battery-powered system with wireless triggering and encoder-based verification for pre-show readiness and high-reliability performance.

Precision Manufacturing: Performed rigorous tolerance stacking analysis on routed and laser-cut components to integrate complex mechanical motion within the slim, confined geometry of a traditional wooden frame.