About me
A short bio and my previous work.
Hi! I'm Gerardo Mora Aquino, a mechatronics engineer and soon-to-be graduate of the Master of Applied Engineering program at Veracruzana University. Born and raised in Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico, my favorite spot in the city is Boulevard Adolfo Ruiz Cortines; when I'm not in the lab, you'll find me wandering there. I joined the Fab Academy to deepen my knowledge in digital fabrication, systems integration, and spiral development. In my free time, I enjoy video games, running, reading, and watching documentaries. I'm a curious person, always eager to learn something new.
Previous work
When I enrolled in the Master of Applied Engineering program at Universidad Veracruzana, my thesis advisor urged me to master finite element modeling and simulation. As a result, Ansys Workbench, COMSOL Multiphysics, and LS-DYNA became my primary tools. Throughout my studies, I focused on FEM simulations of MEMS devices,such as resonators, inertial measurement units, and triboelectric nanogenerators,while also performing crashworthiness simulations that proved essential for my master's thesis. I hope to apply these skills to microrobot design someday.
Project A: Educational Sortation System
As the final project for an industrial automation certification, my group and I designed and built an educational sortation system. This setup integrated two treadmills and a manipulator arm, all controlled by a PLC. Ultrasonic sensors sorted boxes by size as they passed through the first treadmill; the manipulator arm then picked them up and placed them on the appropriate treadmill for further processing. An HMI interface enabled monitoring and control, displaying real-time data and allowing manual overrides. Cameras at the end of each treadmill provided visual monitoring. I handled programming for the treadmills and HMI. The system was later donated to a local high school to kickstart their automation learning program. Unfortunately, a power surge permanently disabled the computer containing the project documentation.
Project B: Seismic table
My longstanding interest in structural engineering and seismic design led me to collaborate with civil engineering students during my undergraduate studies. Together, we developed the seismic table project: a platform designed to simulate earthquake motions for testing structural models. The system featured a base plate connected by springs to a moving platform, actuated by an AC motor with a variable frequency drive. It also included strain and IMU sensors to measure the response of any anchored structure, with data visualized in real-time via a LabVIEW interface. My role involved designing and implementing the data acquisition system. Unfortunately, the project's documentation was lost in the same power surge mentioned earlier.
Authored and Co-authored Papers
I was on familiar turf when I heard the Fab Academy mantra: "Document as you go." My advisor always tells his students to document everything from day one, as this makes writing papers and reports much easier.
Let's get in touch!
Feel free to send me an email at gerardomoraquino@hotmail.com.