Hi, I'm

TilakPatel

I like finding out why things work — then building a better version.

Freshman · St. Charles North High School · Class of 2030

In sixth grade, I built a LEGO grabber that could reach and grip, but couldn't bend the way I wanted. That question stayed with me. Today, I'm building robots and exploring engineering questions about life in space. This is where I share what I build, what goes wrong, and what I learn along the way.

Explore My Projects Read My Story

Featured Engineering

Not everything here is finished. That is the point.

AERO-LITE Phase 1 prototype — three mason jars with zeolite beads, silica gel, and CO₂ sensors on a desk

Phase 1 prototype: three mason jars, a live ESP32-S3, and a dashboard updating every second.

AERO-LITE · SPACE SYSTEMS

Top Individual Award · Middle School Division · NASA Carbon Capture Challenge 2026

How could astronauts manage CO₂ on the Moon?

I started AERO-LITE after learning about a carbon capture challenge at Space Center Houston. My first approach was to compress cabin air directly, but after examining the problem more closely, I redesigned the system to concentrate CO₂ first. That decision shaped the prototype I eventually built.

3live CO₂ sensorsobserved in the Phase 1 prototype ESP32-S3working prototypeobserved on the bench Livereadings via web dashboardobserved, updating every second

Explore the Build Story → GitHub ↗

ASHTAVAKRA BUILD PHOTO TO ADD The final site should use a real photograph of the working arm on the bench.

ASHTAVAKRA · ROBOTICS

Independent project · Started in 8th grade, still evolving in high school

The LEGO question became a Wi-Fi-controlled robotic arm.

After learning Arduino, electronics, and programming, I returned to that early idea as a six-degree-of-freedom arm controlled through a browser. I wrote the Arduino firmware myself, connected eight servos through a motor driver, and built the browser controls — so a command on screen could move a real joint.

6degrees of freedom 8servo motors Wi-Fibrowser control

Explore the Build Story →

Build Log

What worked. What did not. What I learned.

PROBLEM-SOLVING

The Robotic Arm Didn't Work. So I Stopped Guessing.

I started by changing code until something worked. After a fried board, a missing I2C device, and strange servo channels, I learned a better way to solve: isolate one problem, test one assumption, and collect evidence before changing anything.

Debugging Read the build note →

ENGINEERING JUDGMENT

The Calculation That Changed My Design

I wanted to compress cabin air directly, but compression alone would not separate out CO₂. The numbers made me rethink the design: capture CO₂ first, then consider compressing a concentrated stream. That is where AERO-LITE changed direction.

Rethinking Read the build note →

COMMUNICATION

Building It Wasn't the Same as Explaining It

Eight slides and a prototype with live CO₂ readings. What I learned about explaining a technical project without exaggerating what my first prototype actually proved.

Clear thinking Read the reflection →

All Blog Posts →

From Gears to Space Systems

Each build raised a new question — and led me to the next one.

Explore the complete journey →

4TH–5TH GRADE · GEARS

Completed

LEGO mechanisms

The first question that wouldn't let go.

6TH GRADE · CODE + CIRCUITS

Completed

Arduino starter kit

Code could make something happen in the real world.

7TH–8TH GRADE · ROBOTICS

Completed

From one servo to Ashtavakra

Controlling a mechanism from my phone became a 6-DoF arm.

SPRING 2026 · SPACE SYSTEMS

Completed

AERO-LITE takes shape

A lunar challenge pushed me past robotics — and made me revise the design.

FALL 2026 · VISION AI

In progress

From control to vision

Teaching Ashtavakra to sense more than it moves.

LOOKING AHEAD · AEROSPACE

Planned

The next question is still open

Bigger aerospace and rocketry builds, one testable question at a time.

Beyond the Workbench

A little about the person behind the projects.

The projects may be mine, but the curiosity behind them has never grown alone.

My dad gave me my first Arduino kit as a birthday gift. That small box of parts opened a new way to learn: ask a question, try something, and talk through what happened.

He still mentors me with feedback and encouragement. That support has helped me keep investigating, revise my thinking, and explain what I am learning in my own voice.

How I Build

The tools matter. The way I test, debug, and document matters more.

01

Build

Start small, make a rough version real, and use it to discover what the sketch missed.

Prototype earlyExperiment

02

Code

Test one assumption at a time and make the system's behavior visible before changing it.

Isolate the problemExpose the data

03

Think

Compare trade-offs, improve the design from what I learn, and document the next decision.

MeasureReviseShare

The fuller breakdown lives on the Journey page →

TilakPatel

How could astronauts manage CO₂ on the Moon?

The LEGO question became a Wi-Fi-controlled robotic arm.

The Robotic Arm Didn't Work. So I Stopped Guessing.

The Calculation That Changed My Design

Building It Wasn't the Same as Explaining It

LEGO mechanisms

Arduino starter kit

From one servo to Ashtavakra

AERO-LITE takes shape

From control to vision

The next question is still open

Build

Code

Think

Want to compare notes?