hey, i'm samer.
i'm a mechanical engineering student at Rice University, class of 2028. i spend most of my time building stuff with my hands. usually a mix of cad, 3d printing, machining, testing, and a little bit of code.
this summer i'm an engineering technician at case chocolates, turning their hand-operated chocolate press into a motorized, firmware-driven machine. before that, a handheld retinal screening device for premature babies that won an award at the 2026 rice 360 global health technologies design competition, and lots of rockets, e-bikes, and prosthetics.
growing up i was the kid taking things apart to see how they worked (and not always putting them back together). that never really stopped. i just got better tools.
these days i'm into medical devices, automotive engineering, robotics, and building machines in general. the kind of automated systems and factory equipment that quietly make everything else work. i love the part where a sketch on a napkin turns into something you can hold, break, and fix again. after rice i want to work in automotive, robotics, or industrial automation, or build something of my own.
projects
things i've built. hover any card to flip through more shots, click to read the full write-up.
CASE chocolates: automating a chocolate production line
stepper drive · lead screw · c++ firmware · food-safe design
a motorized press that homes, presses to a commanded depth, holds, and retracts on its own. module one of a larger automated production system, built end to end as the sole engineer.
read the write-up →
retinex: handheld retinal screening for premature infants
cad · optics · raspberry pi · 64MP camera · ~$155 BOM
an affordable, portable ROP screening device for hospitals in low-resource settings. won the public invention incremental improvement award at the 2026 rice 360 competition, and showcased at the huff oedk showcase.
read the write-up →
rocket telemetry antenna mounts
solidworks · mechanical design · field testing
dual antenna mounting systems for rice eclipse rocketry. designed, prototyped, and field-tested at a real launch in midland, tx. reached 25,163 ft. all 7 design criteria met or exceeded.
read the write-up →
custom electric bike
carbon fiber · 3d printing · TPU throttle · electrical
built from individual components with carbon fiber weight reduction and a 5-iteration TPU thumb throttle. two years of daily use.
read the write-up →
robotic prosthetic hand with haptic feedback
arduino · fusion 360 · FSR sensors · servos
5-finger articulated prosthetic with force-sensitive haptic feedback that lets the user feel grip pressure through vibration motors in the fingertips.
read the write-up →let's talk
always open to chat.
building something cool? looking to collaborate? or just want to nerd out about cars, rockets, or 3d printing? drop me a line.