Hi, I'm Yared Legese.

I'm a Mechanical Engineer passionate about designing, analyzing, and improving real-world engineering systems. My experience spans autonomous mining systems, off-grid energy solutions, Formula SAE powertrain and suspension design, and HVAC and medical gas systems.

Experience

May 2026 - Aug 2026

Nevada Gold Mines | Mechanical Engineering Intern

Autonomous boom-gate access control and off-grid power

  • Cut inverter standby current from 2.3 A to 1.7 A (about 26%) through AES-mode configuration, saving about 184 Wh per day.

  • Reviewed solar and battery performance, including cycles per charge, battery life, and seasonal derating, and identified a low-temperature threshold affecting the battery self-heating circuit.

  • Prepared the I/O list, sequence of operation, and cause-and-effect matrix for gate operation, vehicle detection, and obstruction detection.

Jan 2023 - Jan 2024

Getamesay Electromechanical Contractor | Electromechanical Engineer

Hospital HVAC and medical gas piping systems

  • Improved overall energy efficiency by 18% through load calculations, equipment selection, and ASHRAE standards.

  • Reduced design errors by 25% and project delivery time by 20% with AutoCAD and SolidWorks layouts and clash detection.

  • Sized oxygen, vacuum, and compressed-air piping using pressure-drop checks and flow balancing to meet healthcare safety codes.

Projects

Select a project to learn more.

Formula SAE

Formula SAE
Powertrain and Suspension

EcoGenX

EcoGenX
Fuel-less Generator

Robotic Control Systems

Robotic Control Systems
Controls and Simulation

Front Lower Control Arm

Front Lower Control Arm
Suspension Design

Autonomous Robot Car

Autonomous Robot Car
Mecanum 4WD

Gear Design

Gear Design
SolidWorks Modeling

Simulink Signal Modeling

Simulink Signal Modeling
MATLAB and Simulink

Formula SAE product shot

Formula SAE | Powertrain and Suspension

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
Powertrain and suspension team member

Timeline
May 2025 - present

Team
Formula Hardrocker SAE, South Dakota Mines

Tools
MoTeC, Realis, SolidWorks

01.
OVERVIEW

Designing, building, and testing suspension and powertrain subsystems for an open-wheeled race car with the Formula Hardrocker SAE team.

Results

  • Supported engine calibration in MoTeC (fuel mapping, ignition timing, telemetry analysis), contributing to 12% higher torque and 8% higher thermal efficiency in testing.

  • Optimized intake and exhaust parameters in Realis simulation, reducing predicted exhaust backpressure by 15%.

  • Refined suspension geometry and drivetrain integration for handling and drivetrain efficiency.

EcoGenX product shot

EcoGenX | Technical Lead

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
Technical lead

Timeline
Jan - Aug 2025

Team
5-member student team

Tools
Magnetic flux system design, product architecture, NSF I-Corps customer discovery

01.
OVERVIEW

Led development of a 400 W portable fuel-less generator designed as a clean, silent alternative to diesel units, guiding the magnetic flux system design and product architecture.

Results

  • Coordinated and mentored a 5-member team to a successful MVP demonstration, reducing prototyping time by 30%.

  • Conducted 60+ customer discovery interviews through NSF I-Corps, validating 70% of key hypotheses.

  • Placed in the top 20 of the SDM CEO Student Business Plan Competition.

Robotic Control Systems product shot

Robotic Control Systems | Graduate Coursework

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
Graduate coursework

Timeline
Jan - May 2025

Team
Graduate course project, South Dakota Mines

Tools
Python, PID control, state-space modeling

01.
OVERVIEW

Designed and simulated Python-based PID and state-space controllers to model and stabilize nonlinear and linear systems.

Results

  • Longitudinal pitch control for a fixed-wing aircraft, with state-space modeling and closed-loop stability analysis.

  • Altitude and full 3D trajectory tracking for a quadrotor, including hover stabilization and line and sinusoidal paths.

  • Multi-robot coordination: go-to-goal, breadcrumb path following, moving-target tracking, and consensus rendezvous.

Front Lower Control Arm photo

Front Lower Control Arm | Suspension Design

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
Design and 3D modeling

Timeline
2025

Tools
Autodesk Inventor, stress analysis

01.
OVERVIEW

Designed the front lower control arm for a Formula SAE-style double wishbone suspension, balancing structural strength, manufacturability, and packaging.

Results

  • Modeled a tubular A-arm with inboard frame bushing mounts and an outboard spherical joint for the upright.

  • Designed for chromoly steel (AISI 4130) and fabrication by welding or tube bending.

  • Checked camber control, suspension travel clearance, and steering geometry compatibility.

Unboxing the Keyestudio Mecanum robot car kit

Autonomous Robot Car | Mecanum 4WD

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
Assembly, wiring, and programming

Timeline
2025

Tools
micro:bit, Microsoft MakeCode, ultrasonic and IR sensors

01.
OVERVIEW

Built and programmed a four-wheel Mecanum robot car (Keyestudio KS4034F) that navigates on its own and avoids obstacles using real-time sensor feedback.

Results

  • Assembled the chassis, motors, Mecanum wheels, motor driver, and ultrasonic and IR sensors.

  • Programmed the control logic to detect obstacles, stop, turn, and continue in a new direction.

  • Tested in a bounded space with obstacles and tuned sensor position, turning logic, and motor coordination.

Pinion gear with splined shaft, SolidWorks model

Gear Design | SolidWorks Modeling

00.
PROJECT DETAILS

Role
3D modeling

Timeline
2025

Tools
SolidWorks

01.
OVERVIEW

Modeled power transmission components in SolidWorks, including a pinion gear with a splined shaft and a complete planetary gear set.

Results

  • Modeled a pinion gear with a splined shaft for torque transfer.

  • Built a planetary gear assembly with sun, planet, and ring gears.

  • Created rendered views of the parts and the assembly.

Planetary gear assembly, SolidWorks model