Aidan Keighron
I'm a Software Developer and I make robots in my spare time
About Me
I am a highly motivated computer science student at Michigan State University, fueled by a passion for robotics and software development. On the robotics side of things, I co-founded the combat robotics team Bad Conflict, where we build robots to compete in antweight (meaning robots are less than one pound) competitions. My current robot, Horizon, is a horizontal spinner that packs quite a punch. Taking software development to the next level I created a startup called Alchemy, where I am making an all-in-one task management software that aims to reduce the time it takes to plan out your week.
What I Do
Combat Robotics
August 2022 - Present
I am the Co-Founder and Team Manager of the combat robotics team, Bad Conflict. We compete in antweight robotics competitions, meaning the robots need to be less than one pound. With such a constraining limit, we are always innovating and looking for new ways to make our robots better, more durable, efficient, and destructive. Our team philosophy is to help our members compete in combat robotics by removing barriers to entry. We support our members throughout the creation process with member support for designing, wiring, and building. We also get corporate sponsorships to help offset the cost of combat materials, manufacturing, and entry fees.
Twofold
* Model is draggable
My current robot is Horizon, a horizontal spinner. The Horizon you see here is not my first attempt. Version 1 was a great learning experience (meaning it had a lot of issues). With an underpowered, unprotected, and direct-drive weapon system, it was a rough first try that only won a match because the other robot had an electrical failure. Version 2 came with major design improvements. It has 1/8in carbon fiber top and bottom plates for stability and armor. Its chassis is made of TPU (3D printable rubber) to absorb hits. The weapon is a 101g AR500 weapon spinning, theoretically, at 18000 RPM. With a weapon diameter of over 6 inches, it has a tip speed of 350 MPH, packing quite a punch. Horizon is signed up to compete in a few competitions this fall. Based on how hard it hits and how quickly it eats through a charged battery, it should be a formable foe.
Horizon
* Model is draggable
Competitive Robotics
January 2019 - May 2023
In high school, I was the Programming Lead of competitive robotics 2451 PWNAGE. Each season, we built a 125-pound robot to compete in 3v3 competitions. Throughout my four seasons on the team, we built a wide variety of robots, from a 420-degree turret that shoots basketball-sized balls to a triple-jointed arm able to pick up cones and cubes. I had a lot of fun designing the code for these robots. You are not designing a robot for a factory floor that is going to do the same motion 10,000 times. You are designing a robot to be as fast as possible, riding the line of what it is capable of and throwing longevity out the window. The creativity and engineering I experienced on PWNAGE were unparalleled. And everyone on the team, mentors and students alike, put everything they had into creating some of the most competitive robots in the world.
Alchemy
February 2024 - Present
Alchemy is a task management tool that I designed to help me improve my productivity. I have always struggled with time management and I could never find anything that suited me. Everything either had too much overhead or was too simple. I felt like I was spending more time planning out my tasks than completing them. I set out to create a tool that would let you instantly create new tasks without removing customizability. I ended up with Alchemy. To create a task, all you have to do is click on the day you plan to complete the task and type in the name. It's that simple. Seeing how much it improved my own productivity, I decided to create a startup centered around Alchemy. Currently, I am working on the business plan and creating a website.
Skills
Programming Languages
Python
2 Years
Java
3 Years
C++
1 Year
C#
3 Years
JavaScript / TypeScript
2 Years
● React Native
● Electron
● Express.js / Socket.io
● Next.js
HTML / CSS
2 Years
Technical Skills
Software Development
Machine Learning
Web Development
Firebase (GCP)
Git / GitHub
REST
Computer Vision
Soft Skills
Team Leadership
Communication
Agile Development
CI/CD Development
Time Management
Problem Solving
Project Management
Creative Writing
Resilience and Determination
Passion for Learning
Work Experience
APS Data Technologies
Aurora, IL
August 2022 - Present
● Improved car tracking system accuracy by 48% and achieved real-time performance, decreasing processing time from 2 seconds to 0.2
● Spearheaded development of a mobile app for the Paramount Theater, writing 60% of the code and seamlessly integrating with existing databases and payment systems
● Empowered development team by providing 24/7 support, leading to a significant increase in productivity
● Managed a team of 7+ interns, overseeing training and assigning tasks to maximize output
Other Projects
File Calculator
February 2022
A calculator that uses folders and files to do calculations
Java
Multithreading
Physics Simulation
September 2023 - October 2023
Physics simulation with an intractable cube that you can throw around a room
C#
Physics
Fantasy FRC
October 2022 - January 2023
Website for running a fantasy draft with FRC teams. It handles everything from picking teams to calculating their score.
HTML/CSS
JavaScript
Express.js
Socket.io
mySQL
Machine Learning Maze
October 2021 - January 2022
Neural Network for a cube traveling through a maze, built without libraries.
AI
Java
Sheet Scraper
October 2021 - January 2022
Scraped designed to make a collection of every FRC shirt trade.
Python
Google Sheets API
Productivity
December 2021 - May 2022
Productivity software that runs in the corner of your desktop to keep track of all of your tasks, has many other cool features.
Swing
Java
PID Visualizer
January 2023
Visualization of a PID algorithm that is fully tuneable.
Java
Swing
PID
Robotics
Compression Algorithm
July 2023
Python compression algorithm that uses random number seeding to compress large files to a few bytes.
Python
Compression
Algorithms
Smash Elo Ranking
October 2023
Elo algorithm implementation for personal Super Smash Bros Ultimate tournament.
Python
Elo
Reminder Notification
August 2023
Desktop app to schedule recurring reminders with custom notifications.
JavaScript
Electron.js
Youtube Limit
September 2023
Chrome extension to block Youtube usage until all due Asana (time management tool) tasks have been complected.
Productivity
JavaScript
Chrome Extension
API
Asana Notes App
August - September 2023
Mobile app to view and add new tasks to Asana (time management tool).
Asana
JavaScript
React Native
Group Extension
July 2013
Save and load chrome tab groups across devices.
Chrome extension
JavaScript
Productivity
Falling Sand
April 2022
Particle physics simulator with a multitude of different elements to choose from.
Java
Swing
Physics
Util
October 2022 - Present
Utility website with a collection of advanced programming concepts, list of algorithms and data structures, and helpful links.
JavaScript
Jekyll
Utility