N Nickolas

Projects and Experience

A closer look at the projects and experience that shaped how I build.

This page collects the work behind the portfolio highlights, from embedded telemetry and robotics systems to game development and accessibility-focused prototyping. Each project page goes deeper into implementation details, tradeoffs, media, and the reasoning behind the final result.

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Project range Firmware, robotics, reverse engineering, site design, spatial analysis, game systems, and accessibility-focused embedded builds
What you will find Technical context, implementation details, photos, screenshots, and the decisions that shaped each build
How I work Hands-on iteration, systems thinking, debugging under constraints, and building toward reliable outcomes
Right now Expanding each project page with stronger visuals, clearer breakdowns, and more of the engineering story behind the work

Selected Projects

Open the project that matches what you want to explore.

Some projects lean more into firmware and testing, others into controls, game systems, or rapid prototyping. Together, they show how I approach technical depth, iteration, and problem-solving across different environments.

Firmware Dec 2025 - Present

UW Orbital

Embedded telemetry and thermal-monitoring work built around C, FreeRTOS, queue-driven scheduling, interrupt deferral, and sensor-driver development.

  • C
  • FreeRTOS
  • I2C
  • CTest
View project
Robotics Oct 2025 - Dec 2025

VEX Pen-Plotter Robot

A pen plotter built from software, mechanical, and control-system pieces, including parametric path generation, calibration logic, and XY motion tuning.

  • C++
  • Python
  • Controls
  • 3D printing
View project
Game systems Apr 2024 - Jun 2024

Tile Isle RPG

A published Python and Pygame project with structured gameplay systems, deterministic combat logic, save-versioning support, and 200+ downloads.

  • Python
  • Pygame
  • Simulation
  • Save systems
View project
Hackathon build Jan 2026

Ice Detection Smart Cane

A 12-hour hackathon prototype designed to help visually impaired users detect icy surfaces using Arduino-based multi-sensor logic and servo-driven tactile feedback.

  • C++
  • Arduino
  • Sensors
  • Embedded systems
View project
Reverse engineering Dec 2024

Carabiner Pen Recreation

Reverse engineered a commercially manufactured carabiner pen in Onshape, recreated its components and assembly relationships, and validated the design with drawings and 3D-printed replacement parts.

  • Onshape
  • Drawings
  • 3D printing
  • Reverse engineering
View project
Spatial analysis Jan 2025

EMF House Analysis

Recreated a furnished floor plan in AutoCAD and a matching 3D Revit model to map EMF measurements throughout the house and turn raw readings into a clearer engineering-style analysis.

  • AutoCAD
  • Revit
  • Excel
  • Analysis
View project
Site design Nov 2024

Padlock Sculpture Installation

Combined courtyard redesign, sculpture concept development, padlock CAD modeling, and physical prototyping for a school installation that was later selected for construction and recognized with an architectural award.

  • AutoCAD
  • SketchUp
  • Onshape
  • 3D printing
View project