MM Mechanical Engineering
+ Flight Test
Portfolio / 2026 Front Range, Colorado

I
systems for
the real world.

Mechanical engineer and flight-test lead working across design, fabrication, mechatronics, and field testing.

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01 / Projects

Selected work

10 projects spanning CAD, fabrication, systems integration, bench testing, and field validation.

01 Independent Build · Oct 2025–present In progress

Smart Display

Front three-quarter rendering of the second-generation smart display with a slim white screen frame above a perforated speaker grille
FIG. 01 Second-generation front enclosure render

A Raspberry Pi home dashboard combining a 10-inch touchscreen, self-hosted services, integrated stereo speakers, and a serviceable 3D-printed enclosure.

My role

Built the original prototype around a Raspberry Pi, touchscreen, Dayton Audio drivers, and PAM8302 amplifier; fabricated and wired the enclosure; then deployed Home Assistant, Pi-hole, and gphotos-sync. Fit testing drove a five-part redesign with a rear-mounted Pi, magnetic service access, speakers mounted to the baffle with embedded M3 hardware, and a sealed, approximately 1 L acoustic chamber.

Result

The first prototype validated the dashboard, self-hosted services, and integrated audio. The second-generation CAD now fits a standard Prusa i3 in the intended print orientations. Next: fabricate the new enclosure, validate its acoustic performance, add mmWave wake and sleep, and prototype voice control with OpenWakeWord and Gemini Live.

  • Product design
  • Containerization
  • Self-hosting
  • Audio electronics
  • Systems integration
02 Skydio · Flight Test · Jul–Oct 2024 Study

X10 High-Altitude Performance Investigation

Michael Marquardt beside an X10 aircraft at a high-altitude Colorado field site
FIG. 10 Aircraft preparation at a high-altitude field site

A four-month flight-test investigation into X10 aircraft performance in high-altitude, low-air-density environments.

My role

Developed and executed a four-stage altitude-escalation path using progressively higher locations accessible from Colorado’s Front Range. Planned the test progression, investigated aircraft behavior under decreasing air density, and translated the campaign findings into repeatable validation gates.

Result

The campaign contributed to a software update that improved X10 flight stability at high altitude. The four altitude gates were subsequently formalized in Skydio’s official test cases and remain part of the aircraft’s validation path two years later.

  • Test planning
  • UAS operations
  • Environmental validation
  • Risk-based progression
  • Software validation
03 CSU Drone Center · May–Jul 2024 Study

Drone-Based Thermal Survey of Grassland Birds

Thermal-equipped multirotor aircraft staged in short grass beside ranch outbuildings
FIG. 16 Thermal-equipped aircraft at the field site

A two-year field study using thermal-equipped drones to locate ground-nesting birds with less disturbance than traditional studies, providing better nesting data for habitat-management decisions.

My role

As one of the lead researchers during the first year, I owned mission planning, research documentation, and data management. I benchmarked four thermal UAS platforms to inform equipment selection, created preflight checklists from FAA waivers, and programmed UgCS missions around aircraft endurance, thermal crossover, and wildlife behavior. I also maintained all flight, environmental, and nest-detection records; mapped confirmed sites in Google Earth Pro; organized the collected imagery and data; and wrote approximately 80% of the final report delivered to The Nature Conservancy.

Result

The first-year campaign established a repeatable method for planning, conducting, and documenting thermal wildlife surveys. The resulting flight data, mapped detections, imagery, and technical report formed the foundation for the study’s second-year fieldwork and The Nature Conservancy’s continued evaluation of drone-based monitoring for grassland-bird conservation.

  • SENSOR BENCHMARKING
  • UAS MISSION PLANNING
  • REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
  • DATA MANAGEMENT
  • GEOSPATIAL MAPPING
  • TECHNICAL REPORTING
Read the story from The Nature Conservancy
04 Independent Build · May 2024 Built

CapBot — Motorized Graduation Cap

Final CapBot mounted on a black graduation cap with its low-profile motor drive, green CSU Ram gear, orange tassel support arm, Arduino, infrared receiver, and battery
FIG. 21 Final working design mounted on the cap

A lightweight, Arduino-based mechanism designed to mount on my graduation cap and move the tassel from one side to the other at the press of an infrared-remote button.

My role

Designed and printed the baseplate, CSU Ram gear, and orange tassel-support arm; packaged an Arduino Uno, IR receiver, motor driver, breadboard, and 9V battery. Replaced an early servo-and-worm-drive concept with a more reliable DC-motor spur drive, arranging the motor below the gearset to avoid increasing the mechanism’s overall height. Built the project in one week by adapting premade CAD assets and using AI assistance to develop the Arduino firmware.

Result

CapBot was turning the tassel reliably four days before graduation. I ultimately left it out of the ceremony after the university issued detailed restrictions on cap decorations; although the mechanism was relatively low-profile, it still appeared unlikely to be approved.

  • Fusion 360
  • Arduino
  • IR control
  • DC motor control
  • 3D printing
  • Rapid prototyping
06 MECH 307 · Mechatronics and Measurement Systems · 2023 Built

Motorized Foam Dart Blaster

Final CAD rendering of the foam dart blaster with a transparent enclosure revealing the internal flywheels, electronics, solenoid, and display
FIG. 34 Transparent final-assembly CAD render

An Arduino-controlled foam-dart blaster with dart-presence sensing, selectable fire modes, LCD feedback, and a solenoid/flywheel launch system.

My role

Owned the system layout and manufacture of the Fusion 360 shell. Reverse-engineered the grip from a production Nerf blaster, then packaged the LCD, solenoid, flywheel motors, sensors, controls, and battery around it.

Result

The group completed a working handheld prototype. The first printed body served as a fit-and-function rig, and the final shell contained the full sensing, control, display, and launch system.

  • Fusion 360
  • Arduino
  • Systems packaging
  • Manufacturing
  • Mechatronics
Watch project video
07 MECH 202 · Engineering Design II · 2021 Prototype

Tree Climbing Robot

Annotated concept sketch showing a hinged circular robot body, spring-loaded drive wheels, guide pins, and a central tree trunk
FIG. 36 Original climbing-mechanism concept sketch

A spring-loaded, servo-driven robot designed to climb a five-foot artificial tree with position control.

My role

Co-developed the hinged body and wheel-carriage mechanism, printed and assembled parts, sized the motors with torque calculations, and contributed to the project schedule, FMEA, and QFD.

Result

The team completed a full mechanical assembly with three spring-loaded drive carriages and integrated servo control. A printed structural component broke the night before the competition; simultaneous printer failures and unavailable school machines prevented a replacement from being produced in time. The result established the need for more robust structural parts and earlier full-system testing in another revision.

  • Robotics
  • Torque analysis
  • Servo control
  • 3D printing
  • FMEA & QFD
08 MECH 201 · Engineering Design I · 2021 Built

Computer Mouse Model

Front three-quarter SolidWorks rendering of the replicated Logitech MX Master 3 ergonomic mouse
FIG. 44 Finished CAD render

A one-to-one SolidWorks reconstruction of a Logitech MX Master 3, built from physical measurements with surface-modeling tools.

My role

Built the exterior surfaces and produced a fully dimensioned four-view drawing.

Result

The model matched the reference dimensions to greater than 95% accuracy. I still have the final drawing framed above my desk.

  • SolidWorks
  • Surface modeling
  • Technical drawing
  • Ergonomics
09 Independent Client Project · Apr–Aug 2019 Built

Indian Peaks Golf Course Live Stream

Current frame from the Indian Peaks Golf Course live stream showing the course and distant mountains
FIG. 46 Live-stream frame · Aug 2026

Replaced Indian Peaks Golf Course’s Weather Underground camera feed with a YouTube Live stream.

My role

Configured OBS and VLC on a virtual server, provisioned the YouTube Live channel, linked the existing IP camera into the new pipeline, and embedded the resulting stream on the golf course website.

Result

Reduced stream latency by 98%. The webcam is still live on the golf course website.

  • OBS Studio
  • VLC
  • YouTube Live
  • Virtual server
  • Web integration
View live project
10 Engineering Design and Development · Centaurus High School · 2018–19 Prototype

3D Filament Recycler

Complete 3D filament recycler prototype on a perforated steel base with an insulated heated barrel, copper feed components, and a yellow electronics enclosure
FIG. 47 Complete filament-recycler prototype

A two-person high-school capstone machine intended to melt waste thermoplastic and extrude new 3D-printer filament.

My role

In a two-person build, I focused on the heated barrel, nozzle, PID temperature-control system, printed electronics enclosure, and end-to-end extrusion and temperature-characterization testing. My collaborator led much of the mechanical architecture, including the large heat chamber, common garden-auger feed, and cooling path; together, we developed the final machine through a shared design process.

Result

Produced about one inch of filament and established a minimum 185°C operating setpoint after PLA failed to extrude below roughly 175°C. A JB-Weld nozzle seal then failed under accumulated pressure, ending further trials. Documented the findings, operating instructions, and heating-system wiring in a final user manual. The project placed second in engineering at the regional science fair and was later presented at the CU Boulder Engineering Projects Expo.

  • Machine design
  • Thermal systems
  • Fabrication
  • Experimentation
02 / About

I learn by building and testing.

My projects often start in CAD, but they don't stay there. I care about the fit checks and manufacturing choices that turn a model into hardware, then the test setup and field conditions that show whether it works.

I’m a Colorado-based mechanical engineer working in UAV flight testing. My work spans reverse-engineering a wheelchair frame, packaging motors and electronics into printed enclosures, and investigating aircraft behavior at high-altitude test sites. I like following problems from design through fabrication and test.

Michael Marquardt holding a Skydio drone beside the Loveland Pass elevation sign
Field testing work Loveland Pass · 11,990 ft
01

Use CAD to answer questions.

I model interfaces and clearances before committing a part to a printer or shop.

02

Prototype the risky part first.

A rough test that exposes a bad fit or weak part can save an entire build cycle.

03

Let tests change the design.

Document what the hardware actually does, then carry that evidence into the next revision.

“Michael has continued to lead from the trenches. … He always commits to whatever the need, ask or issue is and has extreme ownership and follow-through on any task that comes up. … I highly trust in Michael’s abilities to execute and follow through on any task.”

— Manager feedback, Skydio
MECHANICAL DESIGNPROTOTYPING & FABRICATIONSYSTEMS INTEGRATIONTEST & VALIDATION

Beyond engineering

OutdoorsHiking · Skiing · Paddleboarding · Cycling

CreativeLive music · Music production · Photography ↗

03 / Resume

Experience and education

Selected experience

  1. Flight Test Lead

    Skydio

    Run day-to-day operations at Skydio’s Colorado test site. Test autonomous aircraft, docked systems, remote-operations workflows, and flight-control software under FAA BVLOS waivers, then work with hardware and software teams to reproduce problems and verify fixes.

  2. Flight Test Operator

    Skydio

    Validated core flight capabilities—including in-flight stability and return-to-home behavior—at high altitude, supported early Dock testing, reproduced field failures, and reran tests after fixes during the Dock beta.

  3. Drone Pilot & Technician

    CSU Drone Center

    Operated multirotor, fixed-wing, and hybrid UAVs for research and client work, including airspace planning and infrared/GIS mapping for a 180-acre wildlife-conservation study.

  4. Engineering Design & 3D Printing Intern

    Obermeyer Hydro

    Used SolidWorks and FDM prototyping on a pump-turbine test program, redesigning a test stand to cut friction by 50% and identifying a manufacturing flaw before installation.

Education

2019–24

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Colorado State University

Spring 2021

International exchange

Swansea University, Wales

Early technical service

Makerspace Youth Volunteer

Lafayette Public Library

Joined during planning and launch, advised on equipment and software, prepared tools for public use, and taught Fusion 360, Tinkercad, Prusa 3D printing, Cricut cutting, and Carvey CNC routing.

Middle School Robotics Club Peer Mentor

Angevine Middle School

Helped develop course material and supported students learning LEGO NXT robot construction and programming.

Additional experience

2021–24

Freelance Photographer
Rocky Mountain Student Media

2020–21

Sales & Tech Consultant
Colorado State University RAMTech

Core toolkit

  • Flight test
  • UAV operations
  • SolidWorks
  • FEA
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Test & data reduction
04 / Contact

Stay connected.

Connect with me on LinkedIn, read peer endorsements on Cosign, or explore my code on GitHub.