John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 1

John William Phillips

University of Florida

B. S. Mechanical Engineering johnwilliamphillips1@gmail.com 863-307-9285

John Phillips onboard InstiGator, robotic lawnmower

Passionate about engineering, innovative thinking,

being part of a high-performance team,

having fun and making a difference!

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 2

PROJECT: Mechanical Senior Design class

TEAM: University of Florida

DATE: Fall 2014

ENTRY: “Mighty Minnow” – Electric Scooter

OVERVIEW: The Mighty Minnow electric scooter was the final design project of the

Mechanical Senior Design class. This project’s goal was to design a scooter

that was half the weight ( < 23 lb) and twice the power ( > 20 lbf) of a

competitor scooter, as well as having the capability of being stored within a

24”x12”x9” region for transport.

MY ROLE: Mechanical and Electrical Designer

I was the primary designer, both

mechanically and electrically, of the

Mighty Minnow Collapsible Scooter.

My tasks included designing the

mechanical frame, material/component

selection, and FEA analysis of critical

components. I also was in charge of the

electrical design for the scooter,

including power management, motor

control, and charging.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 3

COMPETITION: Autonomous Surface Vehicles “RoboBoat” Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, Machine Intelligence Lab Project

DATE: August 2013

ENTRY: “PropaGator” - robotic boat

PLACE: First Place

OVERVIEW: The RoboBoat competition is a student robotics challenge in which teams race

autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) of their own design through an aquatic

obstacle course. The competition is co-sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval

Research (ONR). The goal of this competition is to advance AVS

performance by challenging student engineers to perform realistic missions on

the water.

MY ROLE: Mechanical Lead I was the lead Mechanical Engineer for the RoboBoat competition. My tasks

included designing the boat, building the boat, and selecting which parts to

purchase for construction. As Mechanical Engineering Lead, I was also in charge

of oversight for thirty-forty undergraduates, including updating them on project

goals and familiarizing them with competition details. From the group of thirty, a

core group of 5-6 engineering students were identified for the project. My role

was to provide them with project tasks and deadlines, mentoring, and guidance in

learning new tools such as SolidWorks and a basic version of the design process.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 4

PROGRAM: University Scholars Program – Work Study Scholarship

PROJECT: Preliminary Design for “Robotic Albert” School Mascot

DATE: 2012-2013 Academic School Year

OVERVIEW: In order to generate excitement and draw attention to UF’s engineering program, the idea

for a robotic version of the school’s mascot, Albert, was initiated. The goal was to be able

to take the robotic Albert along on outreach efforts made on behalf of the UF College of

Engineering.

MY ROLE: Robotic Design

For the Fall/Spring semester 2012-2013, I received a University Scholars Scholarship to

refine and improve an existing design for the robotic Albert. My assignment was to build

on some earlier designs, identify opportunities for improvement, and create a design that

could be manufactured using current UF resources. The design phase took the project to

the point where it was ready for production and now is awaiting funding.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 5

PROJECT: Holey-Moley

CLASS: Intelligent Machine Design Lab – EEL 4665C

DATE: Fall 2013

OVERVIEW: In order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the field of robotics, the

Intelligent Machine Design Lab (IMDL) allows students the opportunity to design and

build their own robot under the supervision of experienced engineers. The student must

do work in all three major phases of the robotics field: mechanical, electrical and

computer engineering.

MY ROLE: Robotic Design

For the Fall semester in 2013, I enrolled in the IMDL class to better build my skills in

robotic design, fabrication and control. The concept for my robot’s design was to create a

robot that could dig through loosely-packed soil and create trenches. The robot

(nicknamed “Holey-Moley”) was controlled using an Arduino Mega board, with the code

written in Arduino’s custom language. Sensors included a two-dimensional gyroscope

(used to determine digging angle) and a magnetometer (used to ensure the robot was

driving in a straight path). Wireless capabilities through XBee modules allowed for

remote control of the robot.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 6

COMPETITION: 9th

Annual ION Robotic Lawnmower Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, Machine Intelligence Lab Project

DATE: May 31-June 2, 2012

ENTRY: “InstiGator” robotic lawnmower

OVERVIEW: The objective of the competition is to build an autonomous lawnmower with a

level of decision making such that it can avoid collision with dynamic and static

obstacles while cutting grass within a specific perimeter.

MY ROLE: Mechanical Lead – Static Competition Team

Our assignment was to refine and redesign aspects of the original InstiGator lawnmower

for entry in the 9th Annual ION Robotic Competition. As overall Lead for the Static

Competition team, my role was to lead mechanical and organizational efforts, identify

opportunities for improvement, and redesign new sensor mounts for the lawnmower.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 7

COMPETITION: IEEE SE Conference Hardware Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, IEEE Project

DATE: May 2012

ENTRY: UF Sensor-Deploying Robot

OVERVIEW: The primary objective of this competition was to create a robotic vehicle that would

drive around a track as many times as possible within the given time limit. The track

contained several different types of obstacles and terrains. Vehicles had to travel around

the track, passing through/over obstacles.

MY ROLE: Co-Team Lead and Mechanical Lead

I was the Co-Team Lead and the Lead Mechanical Engineer for the IEEE Southeastern

Conference robotic competition, responsible for managing over 30 undergraduate

students. I designed and created a custom, 3D-printed platform for our competition robot.

This platform was designed to minimize material usage and overall size.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 8

COMPETITION: Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Systems International Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, Machine Intelligence Lab Project

DATE: July 2010

ENTRY: SubjuGator

OVERVIEW: Co-sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), the goal of this

competition is to advance the development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

(AUVs) by challenging student engineers to perform realistic missions in an

underwater environment.

MY ROLE: Mechanical Team Member

I was the first UF freshman team member to participate in design and presentation at the

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Systems International Competition. As a team, we

designed a quick-release mount for imaging sonar equipment. Personal key learnings

included a thorough understanding of Blender software through design of simulation

model submarine and good design/manufacturing practices.

John Phillips/UF – B.S. Mechanical Eng Fall 2014 863-307-9285 Page 9

COMPETITION: IEEE SE Conference Hardware Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, IEEE

DATE: March 2011

ENTRY: “Rescue” robotic vehicle

PLACE: Ninth

OVERVIEW: The student hardware competition focused on designing an autonomous robot to be

deployed in response to natural disasters. The robot’s action had to be triggered only by a

start button, thereafter there could be absolutely no wireless communication or control of

the robotic device. The robot had to be made of sensors to make it intelligent enough to

overcome obstacles, search for victims and report their status (live, unconscious or dead)

and their given location both audibly along with a visual display.

MY ROLE: Mechanical Co-Lead; Treasurer

I had the privilege of being chosen as only one of four engineering students to represent UF

in this regional robotics competition, placing ninth out of 40 teams. Our assignment was to

create a “rescue” robot that could “identify” and then “save” victims by reporting their

status and location. This was my first opportunity to assume a mechanical engineering

leadership role in designing and fabricating the mechanical aspects of the robot. The

experience also helped me build fundamental electrical engineering skills through the

design of electromagnetic field sensor and testing of infrared and sonar sensors.

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COMPETITION: IEEE SE Conference Hardware Competition

TEAM: University of Florida, IEEE

DATE: March 2010

ENTRY: Solar-powered robot

PLACE: Second

OVERVIEW: This IEEE’s Southeast Conference Hardware Competition in March, 2010

focused on renewable energy and the use of green energy in autonomous vehicles.

Teams had to create a robot that could traverse a set course of obstacles and

terrain in three minutes with only “solar” energy for fuel. The robots had to be

totally empty of energy at the start. The UF entry took second place in the

competition.

MY ROLE: Mechanical Engineering

Our solar-powered robot placed 2nd

out of 43 teams. This was my first full project as a

member of the IEEE hardware competition team at U.F. and was very beneficial in

helping me learn important engineering basics, including being part of a team,

presentation, and research. My role included testing and analyzing data, and suggesting

modifications for the mechanical design of the robot.