Animatronic Bison and Display Board

During high school, I led a team of six engineers in designing and building an animatronic bison, a project that ultimately won a national competition. Our goal was to create a lifelike, interactive representation of a bison, combining mechanical design, electronics, and programming to simulate realistic movement and behavior.

The project involved designing a custom mechanical frame, integrating servos and actuators to control the bison’s head, legs, and tail movements. We implemented an Arduino-based control system that allowed for pre-programmed and interactive motion sequences. To enhance realism, we incorporated a detailed fur covering and programmed the bison to respond to external inputs, such as sound or motion detection.

My role as team lead included overseeing the entire development process, from initial concept and CAD modeling to electronics integration and final testing. I coordinated tasks among team members, ensuring mechanical, electrical, and software components worked seamlessly together. I also handled troubleshooting and iterative improvements to refine the bison’s movements and responsiveness.

The animatronic bison was showcased at a national competition, where it was evaluated on innovation, execution, and engineering design. Our team’s work was recognized for its technical complexity, lifelike movement, and interdisciplinary approach, ultimately earning first place. This project demonstrated my ability to lead a multidisciplinary team, solve engineering challenges, and bring a concept from idea to a fully functional prototype.