
Surface mount trouble
SMD components are so hard to solder by hand, especially 0603…
Hi, I'm Tycho.Welcome to my site! Feel free to browse many of my weird projects here. You might find some of them interesting. I update things semi-often. I hope you are able to get a sense of who I am through this temporary snapshot in time.
A selection of my contributions, projects, and roles.

I’m building this split-flap display for sentimental reasons. Even though I’ll be leaving home soon to go off to college or otherwise, I want to stay connected with my family and make sure they can see a bit of me every day. When complete, I’ll use the 16-character display to send messages to my family at home while I’m away. It’s a nostalgic way to make it feel like I’m still at home.
I designed and manufactured every part, from the body to the flaps to the control system. I had to learn PCB design, improve my CAD skills, and study many prior examples to get to this point. The flaps are the most tedious part, and the PCB design is no joke either!


A first-person 3D looping horror-puzzle game built with Three.js as part of a multigenre project. Inspired by The Exit 8, it explores the existential dread of stagnation and change in a liminal school hallway, challenging players to spot subtle anomalies to break the loop.

A math and physics explainer analyzing the circular time-of-flight dependency in robotics projectile launching. Accompanied by Python animations, the article details an iterative numerical approach to compensate for velocity vector addition in moving coordinate frames.

A native macOS menu-bar utility and local-first task planner designed for low-friction planning. Features natural language task capture, capacity-aware calendar timelines, and one-click deferral/pull-forward suggestions.

A physics demonstration built using Onshape, Breadboard, Arduino, Electromagnets, and basic wiring.

Wooden garden structure designed in OnShape for NHS. Currently in construction, involving woodworking and assembly.

Designed and built from scratch using OnShape and 3D printing. Features stepper motors, custom gearboxes, and inverse kinematics control via Klipper.


A computational physics project analyzing spring energy conservation and mechanics.
A Minecraft minigame prototype with instantiated worlds, queuing systems, and powerups.

An experiment to prove AI can experience emotion using a chain of LLMs analogous to the human brain. Early implementation of RAG with Pinecone.

Discord application that combines CAS and LLMs to enhance mathematical problem solving.
Custom Minecraft server plugin using OOP to allow user-defined items, abilities, and bossfights.
Student at BASIS Independent Fremont; Executive Director at Fremont Institute of Robotics Education
The Three Body Problem
Cixin Liu
The Character of Physical Law
Richard Feynman
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
One Way
S.J. Morden

SMD components are so hard to solder by hand, especially 0603…

Learning how to cook steak was one of the best decisions of my life. Butter basting is so easy, and it makes the steaks taste so good.

Hikes are hard, but I’ve come to appreciate the views that make them well worth it.

I’m a high-school student who is excited to use technology to help people in their everyday lives. I strive for the sense of wonder that comes from a beautiful physics problem, a masterful piece of engineering, or the deep message behind a piece of art. I am a maker at heart and have worked on many projects, starting with a treehouse when I was five. Over the years, I’ve accumulated many technical and soft skills, started 9470, a FIRST Robotics team at my school (we were #13 globally last year!), and developed an appetite for interesting problems. Check out some of my work below.
Quill and Scroll Gallup Awards / Aug 2025
Awarded to student publication “The Yellow Pages” for excellence in journalism and quality reporting.
College Board / Jul 2025
Granted to students with an average AP score ≥ 3.5 and scores of 3+ on five or more exams.
BASIS Independent Fremont / Jun 2025
Overall average greater than 95% for the entire school year.
Northern California Regional Invitational (FIRST) / May 2025
Awarded to the finalist team at the Northern California Regional Invitational.
BASIS Independent Fremont / May 2025
Awarded to one student in the entire school for subject excellence in Chinese III.
Pinnacles Regional (FIRST) / Feb 2025
Awarded for consistent, reliable, high-performance robot operation during autonomous actions.
College Board / Jul 2024
Granted to students with an average AP score ≥ 3.25 and scores of 3+ on four or more exams.
BASIS Independent Fremont / May 2024
Awarded to one student in the entire school for subject excellence in AP Physics 1.
East Bay Regional (FIRST) / Apr 2024
Celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within the school and community.
Silicon Valley Regional (FIRST) / Feb 2024
Awarded to the finalist team at the Silicon Valley Regional.
Silicon Valley Regional (FIRST) / Feb 2024
Celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within the school and community.
Have a project in mind or just want to say hi? I'm always open to discussing new opportunities.
Prefer email? tychoyoung@gmail.com