Competition
Mechanical Design

End-to-end mechanical design of Robocon competition robots in SolidWorks. Responsible for the full parametric CAD assembly — chassis layout and structural frame, custom drivetrain design for both differential and swerve configurations, bearing and shaft sizing, fastener selection, and subsystem interfaces. Designs are developed against competition constraints with manufacturing tolerances embedded throughout. Final assemblies are fabricated directly and fielded in competition.

Design begins with competition rules analysis to extract the footprint, height, weight, and interaction requirements for the season. Parametric SolidWorks assemblies are built top-down — starting with the chassis envelope, then the drivetrain geometry, then subsystem interfaces. Bearing and shaft loads are calculated analytically; structural members are sized with an appropriate safety factor. Manufacturing tolerances are embedded at every interface — press fits, clearance fits, and fastener patterns are specified before fabrication begins. Parts go directly to the workshop and onto the machine tool. The design-to-fabrication cycle typically runs 3–4 weeks per major revision.

Two consecutive seasons of competition robots designed from scratch in SolidWorks, fabricated, and fielded at the national level — returning a championship in 2024 and a runners-up finish in 2025. Both robots were structurally reliable across the full competition season, surviving repeated match cycles, field collisions, and transport without mechanical failure of any primary system.