Programming Projects

Flappy Egg C++ Graphics Project

Completed for Prof. Dion's Advanced Programming Class, this basic graphics game aims to recreate the trials and tribulations of the mid-2010s mobile classic Flappy Bird. Flappy bird was removed from both Apple and Android devices in 2014, leaving passionate fans without a way to flap. With original copies of Flappy Bird on legacy devices going for exorbitant auction prices of over $20,000 on eBay and other vendors, there has arisen a void in the market of flap-based mobile games. Now, nearly a decade later the cult classic has returned, while simultaneously answering the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. It was the chicken, obviously.

Raspberry Pi Automotive Data Display

This was a semester-long programming project for Prof. Eddy's Computer Organization class. Working with my classmate John Driscoll we designed and implemented a device based on the ever-adaptable Raspberry Pi to display relevant engine data to the user. This project utilizes the python-OBD library to read data from the car's ECU and then the pyGame library to create a basic graphical user interface that formats the data in a useful manner.

Web Design Projects

UVM Bike Exchange

Final project completed for Prof. Erickson's Relational Database Design class. This website is a used bicycle marketplace forum for UVM students, staff and faculty. The site uses PHP to read and write from relational databases that store user's information and their listings. The site also has capabilities for users to get in touch with one another securely to arrange sales. There is also an admin section of the website protected by htaccess so only users with approved UVM NetIDs can edit all listings on the website.

2011 Boston Bruins Website

Final project for Prof. Erickson's Intro to Web-Development class, this website honors the legendary Stanley cup champion 2011 Boston Bruins. This project was completed with classmates John Driscoll and John Lackey. The website uses HTML/CSS in addition to some basic PHP to query a database for information and to store user's responses to the survey form.

Passion Projects

Tanya, the 2004 Toyota Tacoma

Have you ever had someone tell you that its a bad idea to buy a 20-year-old truck that has lived its entire life on New England's salty roads? I had multiple people tell me this and I still don't regret a single minute of it. It was on my local classifieds for a week, and I saw that it had reasonable mileage for the year, a single adult owner who kept meticulous maintenance records, and most importantly that it had completed the Toyota frame replacement recall less than two years prior. This old truck had gotten a new lease on life with a fresh frame under it's bruised and weather beaten body. I bought it not even a week later. After catching up with basic maintenance items such as oil, filters, spark plugs and tires came the unexpected surprises that come with owning an older vehicle. Now, almost a year in, it's been a great source of learning about basic mechanics and an absolute joy to drive both as a daily driver and an epic road trip machine.

Basic Modifications for Camping and Road Trip Comfort

• 03/2024: Interior Amenities
The truck came with the most basic of interiors: a bench seat, AM/FM and a CD/Tape deck. To aid in comfort on long road trips, I added a bluetooth receiver to the head unit's external CD changer slot and changed out the bench seat for two bucket seats I found on local classifieds. The interior now has a nice two-tone look. I can also impose my own musical taste on my passengers while maintaining a classic and clean look.

05/2024: Camper/Basic Sleeping Platform The primary use for this truck is as a means to camp anywhere and be able to transport outdoor gear in a neat manner. For this reason I added an aluminum cap for sleeping. It came with convenient side win-doors, a low profile and light weight to minimize the additional fuel usage and classic styling compared to a fiberglass cap. In the bed, I then built a basic wooden platform that has room to place long storage bins underneath and is carpeted on top for a good sleeping surface. The platform spans 2/3 of the bed's width to accommodate a standard twin sleeping pad and leaves a bit of exposed bed floor to have an easy place to put shoes and other dirty items. The platform is quite comfortable to sleep one, and can accommodate two in a pinch. The only issue is retrieving smaller items that slide under the platform to the back of the bed. Adding a pull-out drawer or a hinged door somewhere on the sleeping surface will solve this issue.

Issues Encountered

• 08/2023: Bed Rust The bed mounts on the bed had completely rotted away and the bed had significant corrosion under the fender flares on the sides. After a few hours of attempted patchwork with body filer it was clear that I had to source a junkyard bed. After nearly a month of searching, I was able to track one down in NH that was the right color, priced reasonably and in decent shape. Removing the old bed was a six-hour ordeal that involved many trips to the hardware store to purchase additional angle-grinder disks to forcibly remove the corroded hardware. The replacement bed bolted right up in a matter of minutes.
• 11/2023: Wiper Wiring Issues At some point, mice had gotten into the wiring that controlled the wipers and windshield washer fluid pump. The wiper circuit was no longer grounded causing the wipers to run intermittently at all times the car was on. Furthermore, the windshield washer fluid indicator was constantly on the dashboard despite having a full reservoir. After a few hours of poking around and studying wiring diagrams, I had found that both of the ground wires had been chewed through causing the malfunctions.
• 02/2024: Clutch Hydraulics Failure This was the only catastrophic failure that left me stranded. The slave cylinder piston was extended and refused to retract, causing all the clutch fluid to leak from around the slave cylinder seal rendering the truck completely inoperative. Given that the clutch components were original to the vehicle, the amount of corrosion present on the fasteners was enough to dissuade me from attempting a repair myself. The slave cylinder, master cylinder and line were professionally replaced. There have been no further issues.