01Seasats · 2026
Seasats drone project
Drones that launch from an uncrewed boat, look around, and land themselves back on a deck that never holds still.
Engineering & design / Portfolio
Things I’ve
designed to work.
I’m Nayan, a senior at UIUC working across mechanical design, aircraft, and autonomous systems.
Most recently, I integrated drones with uncrewed boats at Seasats. At IAV, I lead aircraft design and fabrication.
Explore selected workSelected work
2023 — 2026
IAV / SkyfallExplore the aircraft
02Airframe design
Illini Autonomous Vehicles · 2026
Skyfall competition drone
A protective aluminum chassis. Removable carbon-fiber panels. An aircraft designed around its mission and maintenance.
Illini Autonomous Vehicles · 2026
Run the simulator 03
Drone simulator
Indoor exploration, path planning, and 3D mapping in an interactive browser simulation.
Autonomy simulation · 2026
Design + 3D assembly 04
Fixed-wing survey UAV
Balancing slow survey flight, endurance, and an airframe that can be assembled and serviced.
Aircraft design · 2025
From CAD to pocket 05
Aluminium wallet
A machined everyday object: fewer parts, an integrated tracker, and a finish made for daily use.
Product design & machining · 2023
View the study 06
IAV design study plane
A modular test platform for comparing simulation methods and building a repeatable CFD workflow.
Aerodynamic study · 2024A little context
About & experienceFrom the model
to the real thing.
I study Systems Engineering and Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a focus on autonomous systems and robotics.
My work spans CAD, prototyping, manufacturing, and vehicle integration. I’m interested in how design decisions hold up during fabrication, assembly, and testing.
Read my résuméSeasats
Summer 2026Autonomous Drone Engineering Intern
Integrated multi-drone payloads on uncrewed surface vessels. Prototyped airframes, addressed transmitter cooling, and worked on autonomous landing on moving boats.
Illini Autonomous Vehicles
2024 — PresentHead of Design and Manufacturing
Lead aircraft design and fabrication, with work spanning structural design, propulsion, and flight-system integration.
Tiptek
2025 — 2026Lab Production Technician
Fabricated precision components for semiconductor manufacturing, with a focus on quality control and repeatable production.
Design & analysis
SolidWorks · Fusion 360 · Siemens NX · CATIA · Ansys · SimScale
Build & manufacture
CNC machining · 3D printing · Waterjet · DFM / DFA · Soldering
Integrate & test
PX4 · ArduPilot · Python · C++ · ROS 2 · Embedded systems