Leonard Chau | B.S. Mechanical Engineering, SFSU (May 2026) | TIG Welder/Fabricator @ Altamont Manufacturing
LinkedIn • Website • leonard.chau@yahoo.com
RoboCam - a 3D-printer-based robotic imaging platform, built as low-cost automated microscopes for the Esquerra Bioengineering Lab at SFSU:
- StentorCam - Robotic imaging system for high-throughput behavioral assays (~1/20th the cost of commercial systems)
- FluorCam - Open-source fluorescence and IR dark-field imaging platform (~$500 vs $20k+ commercial systems)
- 3D-Cam - Single-camera depth reconstruction using mirror reflections
All built with Raspberry Pi, Python + OpenCV, custom 3D-printed components, and iterative problem-solving across mechanical, optical, and computational domains.
- Type Elements - Parametric OpenSCAD type elements, 3D-printed in resin to restore and extend antique typewriters (Blickensderfer, IBM Selectric, Bennett, Hammond, and more)
- Stability COMmander - Fabricated the boom for a scale telehandler prototype used to validate stability control against real-world geometry
- HPWriter - Concept for a silent "typewriter" that prints on plain paper using an HP45 inkjet cartridge
- Large Laser-Cut Vernier Caliper - Fully functional 33" caliper, laser-cut MDF with Python-generated scales at 0.01" resolution
- RF Experiments - Crystal radios, big loop antennas, high-inductance coils
- Tensegrity Structures - Built display-quality prototypes now exhibited on campus
Design & Manufacturing: Fusion 360, SolidWorks, OpenSCAD • FDM/SLA 3D printing • Reverse engineering
Programming: Python, C++, MATLAB • OpenCV for image processing • Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32
Fabrication: TIG/MIG/Stick welding • Machining • Optics • Electronics
- TIG welder/fabricator at Altamont Manufacturing - precision metal assemblies from engineering drawings
- Undergraduate researcher in bioengineering (PI: Raymond Esquerra, PhD.)
- VP of Tau Beta Pi (revived chapter, grew from 5 to 30+ members)
- VP of 3D Printing Club - mentoring peers in design and fabrication
My engineering identity is fundamentally hands-on. I believe ideas become real only through iteration and tactile problem-solving—whether TIG-welding aluminum assemblies, aligning optical mounts, or debugging embedded control code. I'm most engaged when theory meets tool steel, circuit board, or printed part.
I'm drawn to systems-level integration: uniting mechanical structure, optical precision, and embedded control into cohesive, reliable instruments. My goal is to develop robotic and mechatronic systems that enhance experimental precision while remaining accessible and adaptable—platforms that merge advanced mechanics with embedded sensing and control, capable of collecting, interpreting, and optimizing their own data.
Ultimately, I want to democratize high-precision engineering and bridge the gap between research discovery and real-world application. Progress in engineering often begins not with simulation results but with the sound of a tool engaging material—discovery is built, tested, and refined by hand.
Always down to talk imaging, radios, mechanics, or strange inventions.