"Galvanicar" - Mg-Cu Galvanic Battery Car
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Jan 2026 - May 2026
Chemical-powered vehicle electrical system integrating battery optimization, motor control, and automated stopping.
The Problem
Develop a vehicle powered by a constrained Mg-Cu galvanic energy source while achieving reliable autonomous path tracking and competitive vehicle performance.
The Solution at a Glance
Optimized the vehicle's galvanic power system and developed real-time embedded path-tracking control, combining electrical, embedded, and mechatronic design.
The Approach
Characterized and reduced internal resistance in the Mg-Cu galvanic battery configuration.
Iterated battery architecture to improve sustained motor voltage under load.
Developed real-time embedded control on a TI LaunchPad.
Integrated sensor feedback with motor actuation for autonomous path tracking.
Tuned vehicle behavior for both speed and reliability during racing.
My Role
Power & Embedded Controls Engineer
Designed and optimized the galvanic battery configuration and developed the vehicle's real-time embedded path-tracking control system.
Tools
Arduino UNO
Photoresistors + Transistor + LED Breadboarding
Mini electric motors
The Results
Built a research-grade digital twin of Guam's isolated electrical grid, modeling generators, inverter-based resources, batteries, solar generation, transmission topology, and line characteristics
