Boone
Toguchi.

High Altitude Structures & Simulations Sub-Teams

• Designing and analyzing a high-power rocket airframe targeting a Purdue altitude record of 46,000 ft (Spring 2027 launch) using Onshape CAD.
• Developing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods in Ansys to evaluate structural stability and flight loads alongside OpenRocket motor simulations.
• Researching composite fin manufacturing using carbon fiber vacuum-bagging layups, 3D-printed alignment jigs, and injected EP420 epoxy fillets.
• Coordinating structural constraints with the propulsion, mechanics, and avionics sub-teams.

ENGR 162: Honors Physical Science of Engineering Design II

• Led software development in Python for a Raspberry Pi-powered robot built to autonomously navigate a maze, avoid magnetic and infrared heat hazards, and drop off emergency cargo in under 12 minutes.
• Wrote a multithreaded control program to simultaneously read 3 Grove ultrasonic sensors, an IMU magnetometer (160 µT threshold), and an IR sensor, using a proportional controller (Kp = 0.3) to stay centered between walls.
• Helped redesign the chassis after Prototype 1 struggled with wide skid-turns—narrowing the width from 10" to under 7.5" and moving the drivetrain to the center for zero-radius point turns.
• Modeled a 3D-printed PLA cargo box in Siemens NX (15% gyroid infill) and tested a 45° ramp mechanism that achieved 100% upright cargo drop-offs.

AAE 251: Introduction to Aerospace Design

• Working on a semester-long team project to conceptualize an aircraft system using trade studies, technical requirements, and range/endurance calculations.
• Optimizing concepts across aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and stability/control using drag and thrust models.

ENGR 161: Honors Introduction to Physics & Engineering Design I

• Built a 48 × 21.5 cm rover prototype to follow branching paths and deliver payload containers using optical line-finders and IMU magnetic beacon detection.
• Used a weighted decision matrix to select a rear-wheel drive system paired with low-friction front wheels and a front battery counterweight.
• Integrated a 3D-printed rack-and-pinion mechanism under the cargo platform to deploy payloads upright, and performed full-scale Mars physics scaling calculations (aerodynamic drag, obstacle height ratios, and thermal limits).

Purdue University First-Year Engineering Honors Program

• Assist in class sessions and hold office hours for ~380 honors students in foundational physics and engineering design coursework.
• Grade assignments, exams, and projects while providing 1-on-1 feedback and tutoring to an assigned student team.