Jessica Lam

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sept 2024 - Jun 2026

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sept 2024 - Sept 2026

MIT Arcturus

Founder and Mechanical Design Team Lead

June 2021- June 2024

• Led a 20-member mechanical subteam in a 60-member autonomous marine robotics team, providing design feedback and guiding students in key mechanical engineering skills including DFM, machining processes, and CAD
• Managed design and fabrication of mechanical systems for three autonomous boats and an underwater vehicle that navigate through and interact with their environment
• Coordinated and competed in international autonomous boat competitions, including RoboBoat in Sarasota, Florida, and the Njord Challenge in Trondheim, Norway
• Organized and participated in outreach events, promoting marine robotics within the Cambridge/Boston community to inspire interest in STEM and expand team engagement
• Published paper on the development of our multipurpose autonomous surface vehicle testing platform for IEEE OCEANS 2023

Capra Robotics

Mechatronics Intern

Jun 2023 - Aug 2023

• Developed pan-tilt lifting gimbal solution that uses a hyperspectral camera to analyze the sugar and acid content of grapes through non-invasive methods over 7-week internship
• 3D-printed mechanism for pan-tilt gimbal motors to position and stabilize a hyperspectral camera with PID gimbal controller
• CAD and manufacture vertical displacement lift with a range from 12” to 52” capable of reliably lifting an 8.8-lb hyperspectral gimbal system using only 3D printed and off-the-shelf components
• Successful field testing and proof-of-concept demonstration at the vineyard at the end of the internship

Naval Nuclear Lab

Intermediate Technical Intern

Jun 2022 - Aug 2022

• Communicated with five engineers/sailors on lifecycle testing specifics to develop preventative maintenance protocols
• Designed and assembled 6-ft automated system to rotate a handwheel and pull down a lever while collecting and analyzing data on torque and position
• Collected data equivalent to one month’s worth of use on steam generator hardware in one night of testing

Deep-Sea Sediment Sampler for Hadal Depths

September 2024

Published in IEEE Oceans 2024

Twin Pickles: A Sediment Sampling Autonomous Surface Vehicle

May 2024

Published in MIT Undergraduate Research Journal

Propeller Characterization Testing of Blue Robotics T200 Thruster

June 2023

Published in IEEE Oceans 2023 and MIT Undergraduate Research Journal

Ship Happens: A Multipurpose Autonomous Surface Vehicle Testing Platform

June 2023

Published in IEEE Oceans 2023

Cooke College Scholar

2017 - present

Scholarship and leadership program for high-achieving low-income college students. Awarded to ~ 2.1% of applicants.

Carl G. Sontheimer Prize

2024

Awarded to 3 students of 102 in the MIT MechE Department for creativity and innovation in design

Anchor Qea Scholarship Recipient

2024

Awarded to eight graduate students in the field to develop solutions to environmental challenges

MIT Mechanical Engineering De Florez Award Competition

May 2024

2nd place in undergraduate design for deep-sea sediment sampler

MIT Sea Grant Lab

Ergonomic Upweller Farming

Sept 2024 - Present

• Interview aquafarmers about current nursery-stage shellfish farming practices to determine pinch points and brainstorm potential solutions

Deep-sea Sediment Sampler

Sept 2023 - Sept 2024

• Developed a mechanical sediment core sampler with Inkfish for deep-sea exploration in the Mariana Trench, enabling preservation of intact soil samples at hadal depths (10,000 m)
• Innovated a fully mechanical system using low-precision interfaces to operate under extreme hadal conditions, overcoming limitations of onboard resources and power
• Tested prototype in the Charles River to validate triggering and collection mechanisms
• Published at IEEE OCEANS 2024 Halifax Conference

Blue Robotics Propeller Curve

Sept 2022 - June 2023

• Develop testbed protocol to gather data (motor RPM, advance speed, thrust force, efficiency) for propeller curve
• Used Arduino with Xbee radio and RTC data logger to remotely control thruster, stream data in real-time, and store data
• Published and presented data at IEEE OCEANS 2023 Limerick Conference

MIT Therapeutic Technology Design and Development Lab

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Project

Sept 2022 - June 2023

• Create 3D printed custom mouth prosthesis that utilizes a vacuum to reposition the tongue opening up the airway

Barrier Project

Jan 2021 - Sept 2021

• Prototype a condom applicator for effective application and penile stimulation during placement to increase condom use and decrease unintended pregnancies and STIs
• Fabricated testing rig to determine the integrity of different materials under friction forces

Feedback

Sept 2023 - Dec 2023

• Utilized temperature, dissolved oxygen, and weight sensors to optimize fish feeding resulting in streamlined operations, improved fish health, reduced food waste, and lower labor cost
• Created electronics wiring schematics to integrate signal input and output to fish distribution hardware

"Twin Pickles" - Autonomous Sediment Sampling Boat

Feb 2023 - May 2023

• Designed a catamaran boat to maneuver easily and maintain position as it collects ocean floor samples crucial for studying climate history, marine ecosystems, and human impact on oceans
• Fabricated and integrated aluminum framing structure and winch assembly to deploy and collect sediment sampler
• Published Sediment Sampling Autonomous Vehicle in MIT Undergraduate Research Journal

Battery Monitor PCB

Feb 2023 - Jun 2023

• Design a simple battery management system PCB that could be implemented on an autonomous surface vehicle
• Featured on MIT Mechanical Engineering YouTube page

Hippyoyos

Sept 2022 - Dec 2022

• CAD, CAM, and CNC Mill the injection molds to create 100 hippo yoyos
• CAD and 3D print mold for thermal forming clear cover on yoyo

MIT Design and Manufacturing I

Feb 2022 – May 2022

• Develop and fabricate a four-wheel belted tank drive chassis to drive up a 25-degree incline
• Designed and assembled a four-state continuous linear extension mechanism to lift a 5-lb mass vertically upwards