PORTFOLIO / 2026COLUMBIA ENGINEERING · NEW YORK

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING · ROBOTICS · PRODUCT DESIGN

Ethan
Zhang.

I design, build, and test intelligent mechanical systems—from CAD and FEA to embedded control, computer vision, and physical prototypes.

01 — 6-DOF ROBOTIC ARM + DIGITAL TWINMECHANICAL · EMBEDDED · VISION · UNITYSCROLL TO EXPLORE ↓
01 / SELECTED WORK

Built, tested,
and iterated.

Physical systems across robotics, structures, aerodynamics, and intelligent hardware.

Front renderings of the Harkness Tower CAD designs
07CAD Model
07CAD / DESIGN / ENGINEERING

Harkness Tower Design

An image-driven architectural and engineering design project developed through CAD, structural detailing, prototyping, and final presentation.

CADDesignEngineering Design
View project
02 / EXPERIENCE

Engineering
in practice.

Research, robotics, fabrication, and hands-on engineering experience spanning software, simulation, prototyping, and physical systems.

01

Research Intern

Computer Systems Lab · Yale University

Developed a Python-based AI agent for medical report generation using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), including semantic PDF parsing, preprocessing, and user-facing tools.

02

Research Assistant

C3RL · Purdue University

Developed and experimentally validated a variable-stiffness soft robotic finger, using CAD, finite element modeling, TPU fabrication, and pressure-displacement testing to iterate the design.

03

FIRST Robotics Competition Team 461

Designed, fabricated, prototyped, and assembled competition robot systems, including intake mechanisms and swerve drivetrains, using manual and CNC machining, laser cutting, FDM printing, power tools, and general shop tools throughout rapid build cycles.

03
ABOUT

Curious about
how
things move.

Engineering student focused on robotics, mechanical design, controls, computer vision, and intelligent physical systems.

Studying at Columbia Engineering, with an approach grounded in building, measuring, and learning from real hardware.

When I’m not working on a project, I’m usually swimming, training Sanda, cooking Italian food, or playing Black Myth: Wukong. I also design and resin-print miniatures, which gives me a perfectly good excuse to spend time on very small details.

Ethan Zhang at NVIDIA GTC