Eric Gu
Mechanical Engineering + Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley, '28
I enjoy all things mechatronics, including robots, drones, and 3D printers!
Activities
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at Berkeley
Lead Airframe Engineer
Aug 2024 - Present- •Leading the hardware development and integration of two competition and research platforms
- •Designing and manufacturing a variety of structures and components using 3D printing, machining, waterjet, and more
- •Creating curriculum for and teaching an onboarding program with lectures and workshops on CAD, material science, FEA, and more
- •Producing content for and managing social media channels for outreach and recruitment
Theoretical and Applied Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
Undergraduate Researcher
May 2025 - Aug 2025- •Designed the mechanical systems for three generations of autonomous sailboats
- •Integrated sailboat control boards, sensors, and actuators with an unified, easy-to-access mounting system
- •Developed a 0.25m diameter vertical axis wind turbine to power endurance sailboats
- •Worked through every part of the vehicles' development process, including manufacturing, software deployment, and testing
Supernode Makerspace
Student Fabrication Admin
Dec 2024 - Present- •Maintained and repaired a fleet of Prusa i3 MK3S and Bambu Labs X1C 3D printers
- •Developed training curriculum and trained over 40 students on fabrication equipment operation
- •Provided design reviews and DFM analysis for students' personal and research projects
- •Oversaw the acquisition of $6k in new 3D printers, including product analysis, funding petitions, training material development, and software deployment
Space Enterprise at Berkeley
Structures Team Member
Aug 2024 - Present- •Engineered thrust transfer structures for a 20 kN rocket engine, chargewells, eye bolts, and other parts
- •Performed FEA and hand mechanics calculations on structural components for mass optimization
- •Fabricated numerous components including performing fiberglass layups for composite nosecones
Civil Air Patrol
Grade of Cadet Major. Cadet Public Affairs Officer, Cadet Aerospace Education Officer, Cadet Commander
Aug 2018 - Aug 2024- •Ran Public Affairs operations in support of numerous events around the country across 3 years
- •Led and mentored the Public Affairs team for the 400-attendee Winter Raptor leadership and aerospace camp for 2 consecutive years of record-breaking recruitment
- •Produced 10k+ photos, 100+ hours of interviews and video, 4 news articles, and more
- •Designed and taught a model rocketry course with 3 launches for 20 cadets
- •Led a 70-member squadron through the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting training materials and activities for online presentation
- •Awarded the Amelia Earhart Award, Oregon Wing Commander's Commendation, Air Force Association's Outstanding CAP Squadron Cadet Award, Cadet Achievement Award, and more
Naperville Central High School Science Olympiad
Team Captain
Aug 2020 - May 2024- •Designed and built autonomous maze navigating robots and endurance freeflight aircraft among many other systems
- •Placed in the top 3 in countless events across 4 years of regional and state competitions
- •Restructed team recruitment and training processes, boosting appicants by 20% and 9-place improvement at state competition
CyberPatriot
Team Captain
Aug 2021 - May 2024- •Founded a team at my highschool after competing with Civil Air Patrol Squadron
- •Placed 3rd in state in the Open Division and 2nd in state in the All Service Division in the Platinum Tier
Boy Scouts of America
Eagle Scout
2016 - 2023