Alexander Wolfgang Hoppe

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NILE

Novel Irrigation and Land use Efficiency

Traditional agricultural methods often result in environmental harm due to inefficient watering and the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers. To address this, my five teammates and I developed a cylindrical robotic system for our senior capstone project. Designed for backyard use but scalable to industrial farms, the system is equipped with various sensors that dynamically respond to real-time plant and soil conditions.

To see our work in more detail and access technical documents, please visit the project website!

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CaffeBot

A robotic "barista" designed for perfect pour over coffee.

This project was inspired by two seemingly unrelated events: I had recently learned to solve forward and inverse kinematics for robotic systems, and my coffee maker was unreliable. The result was CaffeBot; a project aimed at bringing high-quality pour-over coffee to even the busiest university students by automating the meticulous process of pour over coffee.

CaffeBot was designed to mimic the precise flow control and pour patterns of a skilled barista using a two-joint robotic arm on a revolute base. While I successfully solved the kinematics and developed a prototype, a demanding senior year schedule prevented me from fully assembling the final product.

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Smart ONYX

An Arduino based modification platform for the ONYX RCR electric motorbike.

In the spring of 2020, I took delivery of an ONYX RCR electric motorbike, which became my pride and joy. Although not a true motorcycle, it made my daily school commute much more enjoyable. However, the bike lacked essential safety features like turn signals. To address this, I created Smart ONYX; a platform to transform my RCR into a fully connected smart bike.

While I had to sell the bike when an internship took me across the country, I achieved my primary goal of safety by implementing a complete set of turn and brake signals. Though the functions were relatively simple, this project marked my first experience with real-time systems, where I gained valuable insights into building responsive and reliable products.

Checkout the project GitHub page for more info!

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The Booper

Physical communication for a digital world.

The booper is a communication device was designed to offer a more physical connection than instant messaging, inspired by my frequent travels and the desire to stay connected with my significant other over long distances. Reminiscent of classic beepers, the device is intentionally simple, allowing users to send and receive a basic message: either a "Boop" or a "Beep." In addition, a synced light enhances the experience, enabling shared moments or coded messages even when far apart.

The device is powered by a Particle Photon, an Arduino derivative designed for IoT projects, and features a miniature OLED display and tactile, clicky buttons. Encased in an Altoids tin, it is both portable and durable.

Checkout the project GitHub page for more info!

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EagleSat II

The CubeSat club of Embry-Riddle Prescott.

EagleSat was a student-led CubeSat project supported by the NASA Space Grant Program and Embry-Riddle. Our mission, EagleSat 2, was a 3U CubeSat that was set to launch in 2021 as part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative. The spacecraft carried dual scientific payloads: one to detect and track cosmic rays, and another to test the effects of space radiation on computer memory.

As the Structures Team Lead, I was responsible for ensuring the spacecraft could withstand the rigors of launch and the harsh environment of space. My team and I designed and built a custom 3U CubeSat structure that was both lighter and more space-efficient than the commercially available options at the time.