projects

Cubot

A Rubik’s Cube Solving Robot

Programmed and constructed a Rubik’s Cube Solving Robot built on top of a Raspberry Pi in bare-metal C. Wired a circuit powering 6 servomotors that precisely turn each face of the cube on command. Wrote a custom solver using 3-style, the blindfolded method that I’m currently learning, which conveniently produces solve times that match my sighted 3x3 abilities (9-12 seconds).

This was a final project for a Computer Systems class in Spring 2020. Code available here. Video demonstration available here. Ricky vs Cubot race here.

Wingman Control

A Single Hand Manual UAV Controller

Integrated palm/finger positional tracking using the Leap Motion SDK to fully control a UAV in Gazebo simulation or live. Mapped trajectory inputs and smoothed sequences such as roll, pitch, yaw, throttle, 360 flip, takeoff, and landing using the Robot Operating System (ROS) in Python and C++.

This project was part of an internship at Beyond Vision in summer 2019. Code is publicly unavailable.

VR Gladiator UI

Multiplayer Platform User Interface Design

Created a User Interface (UI) for a multiplayer Virtual Reality (VR) Platformer “VR Gladiator” using Unreal (scripting in C++). Designed pause menu layout and player interaction with VR controllers using the Unreal’s VR Expansion Plugin. Gained familiarity with VR game development in Unity (scripting in C#) through a series of small onboarding projects.

This project was part of an internship at ZPX - Interactive Software (now Funcom ZPX) from summer 2018 to spring 2019. Code is publicly unavailable.

Speedcubing

Competitive Rubik’s Cube Solving

Regular participant and staffer of regional/national speedcubing competitions regulated by the World Cube Association (WCA). Competitive in blindfolded (BLD) events, ranking in the top 100 nationwide. Favorite event is 3x3 Multi-Blind, testing how many 3x3’s you can solve consecutively, while blindfolded, in under an hour- a true test of one’s memory, mental fortitude, and composure. Some noteable (at home) personal bests: 3x3- 7.09 seconds; 3x3 BLD- 42.34 seconds; Multi-Blind- 16/16 in 59:06.45 minutes.

My WCA profile available here. Semi-recent Multi-Blind attempt available here.

Long Distance Running

5k/Half Marathon/Marathon Running

Avid long distance runner specializing in marathons, racing the hilly San Francisco Marathon in 2021 and 2023. Current personal best is 3:23:48, which converts to 7:47 pace (per mile). This result placed me in the top 7% overall and top 13% for my gender/age group. I hope to one day run a sub-3 hour marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon.

San Francisco Marathon 2023 result available here.

Course Final Projects

Writeups and Explanatory Papers/Presentations

Quantum Information Science:

• Universal control of a six-qubit quantum processor in silicon
• Free-Space QED with a Rydberg Superatom
• GHZ state Encoding and quantum decoherence
• Fast universal control of an oscillator with weak dispersive coupling to a qubit
• Non-Isometric Codes for the Black Hole Interior
• Amplitude Estimation in Braket
• Fermi-Dirac Statistics Exploration
• BQP and PH Separation Lecture Notes

Artificial Intelligence:

• On the Detection of GAN-Generated Facial Imagery
• Optimal Policy for Ground-to-Satellite Communication using Reinforcement Learning
• Applying machine learning algorithms to identify and classify brain scans as having a risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• Musical Local Conditioning for WaveNet

Algorithmic Fairness and Complexity Theory:

• A Qatar Case Study: World Cup Seeding and the Fairness Implications of a Weak Host Nation
• Simple Hash Functions
• Average-Case Complexity
• On the complexity of Primality
• Time-space tradeoffs Lecture Notes
• Equivalence class distribution in asymmetric credit networks