Portrait of Caleb Hottes

Hello, I'm

A mechanical engineering student who builds things, and writes the software that runs them.

About Me

I'm a 20-year-old student from Boise State university with a strong background in design and software development, with a particular interest in creating practical and mechanical systems. I don't shy away from integrating software into whatever i'm making.

I am currently collaborating with 6 other students on our senior design project. It is a intensive engineering project that is testing my engineering and teamwork skills. I'm excited to apply my skills in real-world applications.

Outside engineering, I'm involved with Cru at Boise State, where mentorship, community, and two summer mission trips have helped me grow in leadership and interpersonal communication. Read about Cru, Leadership & Service →

In my free time, I enjoy coding, engineering, hiking, and exploring new technologies.

My Skills

Design

Experienced in creating detailed models, design reports, prototypes, and drawing packages using tools like Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, Bambu Studio etc.

Fabrication

Experience making things with broad range of shop and hand tools such as manual mill, manual lathe, MIG, TIG, and FCAW welders, bandsaws, drills, etc.

Development

Proficient in Python and Java, HTML, CSS, and implementing machine learning algorithms and AI to play board games.

Problem Solving

Strong analytical and reasoning skills to tackle complex problems and deliver effective solutions.

Collaboration

Skilled in listening to and appreciating foreign ideas, effectively communicating with co-workers, and working collaboratively to achieve common goals.

Continuous Learning and Focus

Committed to developing new skills in a dynamic work environment while maintaining sustained focus on tasks to ensure productivity and quality outcomes.

My Projects

Lean-Controlled Sports Wheelchair

Boise State Senior Design

Sports wheelchair prototype with custom-fabricated drivetrain and motor mounts installed CAD model of the modified wheelchair
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Collaborating with an interdisciplinary engineering team to develop a hands-free, lean-controlled sports wheelchair. I have led much of the mechanical fabrication effort, machining close-tolerance drivetrain components using a manual lathe and 2-axis CNC mill. The project combines custom mechanical design, precision manufacturing, electronics, and extensive system integration.

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3D-Printed Pneumatic Rocket Launcher

The Launcher

Assembled 3D-printed pneumatic launcher with a bottle loaded Three printed launcher prototypes showing successive design revisions
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Independently designed and iteratively developed a 3D-printed pneumatic bottle-rocket launcher. The project required engineering functional pressure-containing components, seals, mechanical release mechanisms, and precise mating interfaces. I used systematic prototype testing, destructive pressure tests, and failure analysis to refine the design across multiple generations.

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Robotics Control Research Lab

Dynamic Manipulation

Diagram of the gap function geometry
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I worked as a research assistant for Dr. Aykut Satici in his robotics control lab at Boise State, on a project teaching a neural network to control the forces and torques of a robot arm well enough to push a box up onto a step. I hunted bugs in the training pipeline, including a loss function bug that was collapsing an entire batch of evaluation runs into one number, and built the pipeline that exports a trained controller out of Python so it can run on real hardware from C++.

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Ultimate Tic Tac Toe

The Game

Ultimate Tic Tac Toe gameplay Diagram of the Monte Carlo Tree Search engine
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A Java and JavaFX desktop game with a Monte Carlo Tree Search opponent that can be guided by a value network and a policy network I trained myself. It is one of the biggest software projects I have built: a full game engine, a multithreaded search running many workers against one shared tree, a neural network training pipeline, and self-contained installers for Windows and Linux. Watch the demo, read about how the search works, or download it and play it yourself.

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Strap Breaker

The Tooling

The strap breaker tooling, CAD model beside the finished part
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For my Experimental Methods class I designed and built tooling to destructively test an OSHA-certified tow strap and find its real factor of safety. The strap failed at 10717lbf against a 4000lbf rating, giving an experimental factor of safety of 2.68, roughly half the manufacturer's claimed value of five. The tooling came out of the test undamaged.

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Freelance Engineering Contract

Final CAD Model

Motorcycle lift CAD model
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A man reached out to Boise State University asking for a student to help him with a engineering problem for pay, I got the job. He needed a 4-bar lift to hold his motorcycles on his custom campervan.

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Robotics: Furuta Pendulum Kinematics

The Simulation

Image of the Simulation
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In my first robotics project my partner and I worked together to analyze and simulate the kinematics of a Futura Pendulum using analytical and software methods. We derived and evaluated formulas with code, modeled the pendulum with MuJoCo, (A python library) and verified analytical results using the model. Below is an image of our simulated pendulum and a video of the simulation. Click the button to see reports, code, and more details.

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Robotics: Localization

Video Of Simulation

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In my second robotics project, my partner and I implemented a Mahony filter to estimate orientation using data from a phone's IMU. We treated gravity and the Earth's magnetic field as noisy landmarks and used gyroscope data and bias correction to filter the signal. We also explored the TRIAD algorithm, each developing our own variations, and visualized the results using MuJoCo. Below is a video of the Mahony filter in action. Click the button to see the report, code, and project instructions.

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Robotics: DH-Kinematics

Kinematics Simulation

Model of Robot Arm Arm Control Simulation
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In this project, I analyzed the forward and inverse kinematics—both position and velocity-level—for a 6-DOF robot arm, the NexCOM miniBoT. Using analytical methods and the Denavit-Hartenberg convention, I developed closed-form solutions, including a fast inverse kinematics function that returns multiple solutions. I also implemented an animation system that uses inverse kinematics to follow a path. Below is a visual of the robot arm, the animation, click the button to see the full report, code, and project details.

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Design Project II: Material Handling Dolly

Material Handling Dolly

Material Handling Dolly
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The second design project was focused on creating a dolly which can lift a 35lb cylinder from a cradle, move it across a room and deposit it on a similar cradle. During the project I collaborated with my teammates in designing prototyping analyzing and testing our solution. During integration we had to revise the design on the fly due to issues with massive amounts of friction in the gearbox. Ultimately we pivoted from a 3D printed gearbox to a welded and machined metal gearbox allowing for tighter tolerances and higher rigidity.

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Design Project I: All terrain trailer

My Solution

Top of Solution Bottom of Solution
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During my first design class at Boise State I designed, fabricated, tested, iterated, and documented a solution to the given challenge. The challenge was to design a trailer that can transport a 5.5lb payload across an uneven course. The key design constraint was that the payload must be balanced on the top of the solution. Below you can see my final design and explore more of the details of this project.

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FIRST Robotics Logo

FIRST Robotics

FIRST LEGO League

FLL Team

FIRST Tech Challenge

FTC Team

FIRST Robotics Competition

FRC Team
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I participated in FIRST Robotics for nine years, from 4th grade through high school, an experience that had a major impact on my development as an engineer. Through the program, I learned how to brainstorm and refine design ideas, collaborate on engineering teams, and use CAD to model mechanical systems. In high school, as part of the FRC league, I worked with over ten other designers to collaboratively CAD our team’s competition robot. I also co-founded a sub-team called General Programming and led the development of our first electronic scouting system, which introduced automation into our data collection process and improved our competition strategy.

FIRST LEGO League

From 4th to 8th grade I participated in FIRST LEGO League (FLL). FLL introduced me to engineering through building autonomous LEGO robots and developing teamwork, design, and presentation skills that have continued to support my growth in higher-level robotics and beyond.

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FIRST Tech Challenge

During my two years on Team 11109 Pirate Tekerz in the FIRST Tech Challenge, I developed strong engineering skills in CAD design, collaboration, and fabrication, successfully adapting to remote robot building during COVID-19 and helping get the team to its first state competition.

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FIRST Robotics Competition

During high school I competed in FRC for 3 years, gaining experience with Computer Aided Design, technical collaboration, integrating designs into the real world. During my third year I co-founded a new sub-team to develop the team’s first electronic scouting system.

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Get In Touch

I'm always open to discussing new projects, creative ideas, or opportunities to be part of your vision.

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