BT

Mechanical engineering / Robotics

Bonden
Tucker.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Sophomore · B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Expected graduation: 2029

Mechanical engineering student seeking design and robotics internships.

Explore my projects
Bonden Tucker

Selected work

Projects.

CAD rendering of the miniature robot design with its mechanisms deployed.
Deployed configuration · CAD design

/ Personal project · Robotics

Miniature FRC-Inspired Robot

  • Designed for ¼ the volume of a traditional competition robot.
  • Approximately 95% reused commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components.
  • A 14-inch-wide robot designed around a 14-inch-wide game piece.
  • Omnidirectional drive and four sensor types to support software automation.
View more about the mini bot
Full CAD assembly of the carbon fiber tube elevator.
Elevator assembly · CAD design

/ Mechanical design

Carbon Fiber Tube Elevator

  • Raised a scoring mechanism to full height in under one second.
  • Variable-height motion with six programmed setpoints.
  • Designed around strict manufacturing constraints.
  • Carbon fiber tube structure with a rigged capstan drive.
View more about the carbon fiber tube elevator
CAD assembly of the IGVC autonomous ground vehicle.
Full vehicle assembly · CAD design

/ Autonomous robotics

Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC)

  • Led a rookie team of three with no faculty or mentor assistance.
  • Fully designed the drive system and helped assemble the chassis.
  • Completed CAD ahead of schedule on a tight budget.
  • The robot competed at IGVC in 2026.
View more about the IGVC robot

Game-piece scorer / Six iterations

See how I design.

First scoring mechanism mounted on the elevator, holding a PVC game piece.
Where I started
Final scoring mechanism mounted on the elevator, showing its rollers, belt drive, and clear side plates.
Where the design ended up

Simplifying the handoff

The game piece needed to transfer from the intake to the scorer before being raised by the elevator and scored. With only about a dozen handoffs per match, each failed transfer cost us a valuable scoring opportunity. I worked through six versions of the scoring mechanism to refine that complicated handoff.

I designed the mechanism for easy attachment and removal so I could swap versions and test changes quickly.

View more about my design process

About me

I’ve always been interested in engineering. Before starting high school, I signed up for engineering classes, and during my freshman year I joined my school’s FIRST Robotics team. Over the next four years, I gained hands-on experience in CAD, mechanical design, manufacturing, teamwork, and leadership.

Design is the part of engineering I enjoy most. I love seeing a solution to a problem come to life, then finding ways to improve it. My projects have taught me that the first design is rarely the best, and that testing and iteration are where meaningful improvements happen.

I’m looking for a design or robotics internship where I can contribute my CAD and prototyping skills, collaborate with experienced engineers, and keep learning by asking questions and building things.

Summer 2027 internships

Available May–August 2027. Open to relocation with relocation assistance.

bonden.tucker@gmail.comLinkedIn View my resume (PDF)