Engineer, tinkerer. I like building things and figuring out how they work.
Mechatronics @ UWaterloo, Fall 2026.
I'm Dylan. 17, based in Vancouver, starting Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo this fall. I build hardware and write software. Most of my time goes into tinkering with whatever's new, whether that's AI tools or 3D printing. Right now I'm deep in AI tooling, figuring out how to build faster and smarter with what exists today.
I like making things that solve real problems.
Hardware · IoT · TKS Moonshots
Solar-powered wildfire detection sensor with Starlink connectivity. Designed for remote terrain with no existing infrastructure. Presented to 300+ people at a tech showcase. A Deloitte managing director asked about our cost per square kilometre and later met with us privately to discuss taking it further.
One-pager →AI · Drug Discovery · Cerebras
AI drug discovery tool using Cerebras for parallel model inference. Reduces research iteration time from hours to seconds. Built in 48 hours during a TKS sprint.
View writeup →Hardware · Sensors · XPRIZE
Sensor-guided PAC dosing system for desalination plants. Detects algal bloom toxins in real time and auto-doses activated carbon. Built for the XPRIZE Water Abundance challenge. Zero manual intervention required. Followed up directly with the XPRIZE team to explore viability beyond the initial project.
View project →Automation · n8n · GPT-4 Mini
Personal AI assistant inspired by Iron Man's Jarvis. Built on n8n and GPT-4 Mini. Schedules my calendar, summarizes voice messages into tasks, and handles email. All through Telegram for under $2/month.
Read writeup →Machine Learning · Reinforcement Learning
Reinforcement learning agent that teaches itself to play Snake from scratch. Wrote up the full process covering how the model trains, where it fails, and when it starts beating my high score.
Read writeup →
Built a digit recognition model on the MNIST dataset. Wrote a breakdown of how image recognition works from pixels to predictions, and how the same principles are being applied to help blind people see.
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Deep dive into the tech behind making prosthetic hands feel real. Covers sensor types, neural interfaces, machine learning for touch processing, and where the field is heading in the next five years.
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Strategic recommendation covering market analysis, competitive positioning, and growth strategy. Built for a TKS consulting challenge.
View deck →
Retail strategy recommendation analyzing supply chain dynamics and customer behaviour. Built for a TKS consulting challenge.
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Director of Sponsorship for STRIVE, a business case competition bringing 300+ BC high school students to UBC annually. Secured sponsors and speakers from Microsoft Garage and Deloitte through cold outreach and in-person visits.
Visit website →
Global innovation program. Built projects in hardware, AI, and biotech through Moonshots and 48-hour sprints.
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Delivered four sessions teaching 25+ grade five students about earning, saving, and business. Facilitated a money management game and helped students build a class business from scratch.
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Co-founded a student-led window cleaning business when no one would hire us for summer jobs. Trained a team of five students across four schools and served 20-30 homes over three months.
Want to work together or chat? Find me here.
© 2026 Dylan Rolfe
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