Benjamin Dieleman | Mechanical Engineering Student

Technical Projects

Objective: Design a robot capable of reading a barcode of various noise levels and decoding the corresponding letter

Worked with two other students to design and build the robot using Lego Mindstorms products, and wrote the code in ROBOTC and MATLAB
Employed a colour sensor to detect the bars and white space
Collected the data using ROBOTC, and processed the data in MATLAB to determine the letter
Tested the robot on barcodes of various sizes and noise levels and adjusted the design to ensure proper function
My contributions included the design of the robot, and writing the MATLAB script to decode the barcodes

Objective: Design a robot capable of solving a maze and returning to the start position in the shortest amount of time possible

Worked with two other students to design and build the robot using Lego Mindstorms products, and wrote the code in Python
Utilized an ultrasonic sensor to detect walls and determine where to move or turn
Used motor encoders to ensure accuracy in the robot’s movements and turns
Tested and tweaked the mechanical design and code many times before landing on a final result
My contributions included the mechanical design and construction of the robot, as well as writing the code to solve for the shortest route back to the starting position

Objective: Design a robot capable of following a line and removing obstructions from its path in the shortest amount of time possible

Worked with two other students to design and build the robot using Lego Mindstorms products, and wrote the code in Python
A colour sensor was used to detect the line and determine the colour of the line
An ultrasonic sensor was used to detect obstructions on the path
A mechanical arm was used to remove obstructions from the path, depending on the colour of the line
My contributions included designing and building the robot, as well as optimizing the code to allow the robot to travel faster without losing the line

Identified and repaired issues on multiple vehicles with many different issues
Repaired a previously non-running 1990 Ford Ranger; traced the problem back to the fuel pump using a multimeter, and got the truck running again
Replaced the exhaust system on a 2004 Ford F-150
Performed routine maintenance on many vehicles, including oil changes, brake pad changes, shock replacement, tire rotations, and more

Performed maintenance and repairs on various small engines, including 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines on motorcycles, snowblowers, lawnmowers, and outboard marine engines
Recently worked on a non-running snowblower and restored it to running order by replacing the carburetor
Cleaned carburetors and changed jet sizes to achieve optimal performance on various dirt bikes
Repaired a seized 15hp 4-stroke outboard marine engine

Performed numerous installations of head units, speakers, and subwoofers in multiple vehicles belonging to friends and family
Recently installed a JVC head unit in a 2014 Subaru CrossTrek, which involved crimping and soldering, modifying mounting brackets, and adding functionality to retain the steering wheel controls
Replaced all cabin speakers and installed a subwoofer in a 1990 Ford Ranger
Helped many friends troubleshoot issues with the sound systems in their vehicles

Built many gaming PCs for myself and friends since 2020
Researched and purchased components in alignment with budget constraints and performance expectations
Assembled the components and installed operating systems, and ensured everything worked properly

Purchased a pair of 2 LED Pod lights and a 12″ LED Bar with intentions of mounting them to the front of a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Determined optimal mount locations and drilled holes for the two LED pods
Used 1/8″ flat steel bar to create a drop bracket for the 12″ LED bar, as the license plate blocked its path initially
Mounted and wired all of the lights, and installed a switch in the cabin in place of a cigarette lighter

Purchased a soldering kit and learned how to solder before beginning the project
Researched and purchased components to build the FPV quadcopter
Assembled the frame of the quadcopter
Soldered all required connections, using the manual for each component for guidance
Used a 12v power supply and a 5.8GHz video receiver to stream the footage to a TV/monitor and avoid purchasing FPV goggles