wheeler gans

Technical co-lead for Spotter, a low-cost, solar-powered ocean wave measurement and tracking device

• Co-led electronics design and development from product conception to production
• Designed high efficiency solar li-ion battery power system with power point tracking for sustained operation in marine environment
• Co-led GPS sensor integration and RF design for high-accuracy wave and current measurement
• Developed and implemented board level and system testing strategies for sensor validation, unit qualification and FCC/CE compliance
• Designed embedded firmware using C++ for Spotter
• Managed ramp to production through local contract manufacturer and developed quality control strategies and testing for first ~300 units

Co-founder of student-led startup aimed at building a better avalanche beacon

• Led electronics design and development for proof of concept avalanche beacon for multi-unit triangulation using ultrasonic ranging
• Raised $20k in research funding from University of Colorado
• Developed investor pitch deck and pitched for seed round funding

• Designed mechanical structure of radiant thermal cage for thermal vacuum testing of now-active satellite, (SkySat1) using Solidworks
• Managed procurement of materials, fabrication and assembly of radiant thermal cage
• Led electrical design of electrical control box for thermal cage radiant heating elements

Development of actuation system for testing deployable composite boom

• Led system design and development
• Co-managed team of 8 part-time students

• Designed and built thermal vacuum chamber for flight hardware testing

Specialized in power electronics and biomedical engineering. Worked as systems lead for Rocketsat8 project through Colorado Space Grant Consortium.

Served as president of Student Leaders in Science