Henry Speiser

I build things. Sometimes they even work.
I like
SoftwareElectronicsMechanical
Henry Speiser

Projects

Things I've built across software, electronics, and mechanical engineering.

Anduril AI Grand Prix (25th of 3,000+)
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Anduril AI Grand Prix (25th of 3,000+)

Autonomous drone racing for Anduril and DCL's AI Grand Prix. Flew a 17-gate course using only a camera and IMU at 30 Hz, finishing 25th out of more than 3,000 entries with a 35.37 second lap.

Reinforcement LearningPPOWorld Models+7
Hour of Robotics (YC Robohacks 2nd Place Winner)
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Hour of Robotics (YC Robohacks 2nd Place Winner)

A browser-based platform that lets anyone program real robots through a drag-and-drop interface, making robotics as accessible as Hour of Code made programming.

Next.jsReactBlockly+5
FRC Team 971 - Spartan Robotics
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FRC Team 971 - Spartan Robotics

Four years on FRC Team 971 doing a little bit of everything. Autonomous software, power electronics and PCBs, firmware, gearboxes, machining, driving, and match strategy.

AutonomousPCB DesignFirmware+6
6-DOF Robot Arm
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6-DOF Robot Arm

Custom-built 6-degree-of-freedom robot arm with inverse kinematics, path planning, and camera-based control.

PythonOnshapePlaco+1
Somo AI Smart Hospitality Platform
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Somo AI Smart Hospitality Platform

Lead prototyping engineer for AI-driven smart hotel automation system. Built 12 custom PCBs validating distinct product lines, contributing to $20M+ funding.

ESP32STM32Pi Pico+9
Redundant CAN-Based Robot Controller

Redundant CAN-Based Robot Controller

High-speed STM32-based joystick and button controller with CAN FD, built for intense, high-stakes matches.

STM32CAN FDPCB Design+2
Custom Mach 1 Rocket
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Custom Mach 1 Rocket

Fully custom solid-state rocket with custom remote ignitors and parachute deployment system.

KiCadOnshapeOpenRocket+2
SkyDrive (Rocket Thrower)
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SkyDrive (Rocket Thrower)

Centripetal force rocket thrower with a 1m radius, capable of ~600 feet throwing distance. Large-scale project, biggest yet. Work in progress.

WORK IN PROGRESSMotor ModelingFluid Flow+1
Atila Biosystems POC Device
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Atila Biosystems POC Device

Reusable and affordable viral testing device with PCR-level efficacy.

AltiumCTeamwork
Shrimpy: The Mantis Shrimp Inspired Helicoid Composite

Shrimpy: The Mantis Shrimp Inspired Helicoid Composite

Bio-inspired Bouligand fiber composites 3D-printed in continuous Kevlar, tested in compression and 3-point bend. Compressive strength nearly doubled and toughness peaked at almost exactly the angle mantis shrimp use biologically.

Markforged X7Continuous Fiber 3D PrintingKevlar+6
100MPH FPV Drone
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100MPH FPV Drone

I built a ridiculously fast FPV drone from scratch to explore aerial cinematography and scratch that itch for speed.

Robust DesignTuningNeed For Speed
Rocket-Powered RC Car
Preview

Rocket-Powered RC Car

A Fast & Furious-style RC car retrofitted with a rocket engine for a wild (and slightly dangerous) experiment.

3D PrintingRocketRC Car+1
Handcrafted Outdoor Wooden Bench

Handcrafted Outdoor Wooden Bench

Designed and built a custom outdoor bench with a focus on durability and aesthetics.

WoodworkingCADStructural Design
The Tramp Stamp (Rapid Test Name Stamper)

The Tramp Stamp (Rapid Test Name Stamper)

A custom multi-stamp holder designed to quickly fill out name and student ID fields on tests.

3D PrintingFuturistic Technology
Henry Speiser

About

I hate leaving any stone unturned. If I don't know something, I go figure it out, either by finding someone who does or by digging into it myself. No matter how much work it takes, if there's an answer, I want to find it.

That's also why I've ended up working across so many different parts of engineering. I love designing mechanical systems, circuit boards, writing software and firmware, and training models. Whatever the problem needs, I'm happy to learn. Instead of thinking about engineering in terms of disciplines, I think about what needs to happen to get to the best solution.

And I hate treating things like black boxes. I always want to know exactly why something works. The more of a system you understand, the more options you have when you're trying to solve something, and the less you're constrained by whatever tools or abstractions you already know.

That's pretty much how I approach engineering. Understand the problem all the way down, figure out what the best solution should be, and then do whatever work it takes to get there.

SoftwareElectronicsMechanicalPCB DesignEmbedded Systems3D Printing
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Get in touch

Have a project in mind or just want to chat? Reach out.