Portfolio

MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE)

Undergraduate Research Opportunity: Indoor Hammer and Discus Measurement

Concept drawing

Worked under Principle Research Scientist Brian Anthony at MIT. Prototyped a system that could track thrown track and field implements to estimate distance based on velocity. Designed a modular mounting system for sensors that could also be used for other types of data collection such as gait speed and balance. This allows athletes to better track progress and gain valuable feedback when throwing into a net at an indoor training facility.

Click here for a PDF of the UROP project funding proposal.

MIT | Cambridge, MA | Spring 2024

Concept drawing

Part of the mounting system designed by Connor Kalvar

Next Level Coding Club at Summit Academy - Founder & Volunteer Instructor

I proposed a new community service project at my old grade school, Summit Academy, and founded the Next Level Coding Club. I used MIT's Scratch programming language to teach fifth to twelfth graders the basics of programming through guided project lessons and unguided creative creation.

Sharing my passion with others and seeing them share in my joy in bringing ideas to life has been quite satisfying.

Here are some samples of my lesson and project plans.

Lesson Plan #1 - Introduction & Chase Game

Lesson Plan #2 - Space Invader Clone

Lesson Plan #3 - Colorful Snake

Lesson Plan #4 - Zombies!

Summit Academy | Louisville, KY | Fall 2021 - Spring 2023

Connor Kalvar assists a student at Summit Academy during an after school meeting of the Next Level Coding Club.

Mass Drivers in From the Depths Part 1

I design warships in a voxel-based game called From the Depths. It's all about building a warship from the ground up, designing every system from the weapons to the armor to meet the requirements of the ship. Just like the real world, there are many ways to approach problems in the game.

This process of design, creation of something new from ideas and experience, captivates me more than almost anything else.

Here is a presentation of my journey with and explanation of an unintended weapon type in my favorite game.

Floyds Knobs, IN | January 2022 - August 2023

Mass Drivers In From the Depths-1_edited

A digital warship design created by Connor Kalvar in From the Depths

Mass Drivers in From the Depths Part 2 - Explosive Change

Created a mass driver system in a virtual combat vehicle simulator that has engagement ranges far beyond other weapon systems in said environment. Designed a novel implementation of this system. Used Excel and MATLAB to help design a control system that accounts for projectile drag to increase accuracy.

Here is a presentation of my design/build thought process.

MIT | Cambridge, MA | January 2024 to Current

Mk 3 experiments MATLAB code.

Mk 2 firing.

IAP Project: MIT's mascot TIM in All His Polygonal Glory

I had recreated MIT’s mascot in a game I play called From The Depths (check out the Mass driver presentations to learn more about that). FTD has a feature where you can export your creations as a STL file and (theoretically) 3D print them. Problem, the STLs that get spit out by FTD are basically unworkable in a CAD program.

Solution? Recreate my version of TIM in CAD myself and make the changes I wanted before printing it out. So that’s what I did. It took a week but I successfully recreated the in-game version of TIM in all his polygonal glory and in the process became very familiar with the draft tool in Fusion 360.

I will hopefully finish the design and get all of his limbs successfully printed and articulating in what little free time I will have in the spring semester.

MIT | Cambridge, MA | January 2025 IAP to Current

Automatic Tape Reel for Track & Field Meets

Designed a system to help run track meets quicker by increasing the speed at which distances could be measured. This was accomplished by making a mounting system to attach a motor to automatically reel up 200-foot tape reels commonly used in track and field.

Floyds Knobs, IN | Summer 2024

Prototype of the automatic reel system.

Connor Kalvar presents at the end of camp project fair at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Trebuchet Design Build Project - Operation Catapult camp at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

I worked with two other team members and Rose-Hulman Mechanical Engineering professors to design and build a large scale floating arm trebuchet from scratch.

Click here to download a PDF of the project files.

Operation Catapult camp at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN | Summer 2021

3D print prototype of the trebuchet

Final build of the trebuchet

ACE Mentor Club
Trinity High School Chemistry Lab Renovation Presentation at 2023 ACE Gala at the University of Louisville

I was involved with the Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program at Trinity High School for all four years. The past two years I was the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Project Lead on our group project. With the guidance of industry professionals, our club worked on one main group project a year.

In 2023 based on the success of the 2022 project, the club worked on a chemistry lab renovation project to modernize and maximize the space to better serve the needs of chemistry teachers and students.

Here is the link to the 2023 project presentation.

Trinity High School | Louisville, KY | 2019 - 2023

Connor Kalvar, MEP Lead, presents to the 2023 ACE Gala crowd at the University of Louisville.

CAD Model of Lab piping

ACE Mentor Club
Trinity High School Physics Lab Renovation Presentation at 2022 ACE Gala at the University of Louisville

Connor Kalvar, MEP Lead, presents to the 2022 ACE Gala crowd at the University of Louisville.

In 2022 our club worked on the project plan to convert a chemistry lab into a better workspace for physics classes. Just weeks after the presentation, the school approved the project and the renovations were completed over the summer and the space was ready for the 2022-23 school year.

Here is link to the 2022 project presentation.

Click here to view the finished project (The Leader Fall 2022 edition)