Ethan Borochoff Resume/Portfolio

5 foot UAV (2025-26):

(expected ~20 lbs payload capacity) (current design)
After working on RC planes and other unmanned projects in middle school, I became frustrated by how little space and flexibility there was for meaningful systems integration in most commercial UAS platforms. I began designing this project as a modular heavy lift UAV focused specifically on payload integration, onboard compute testing, and rapid hardware iteration, while still keeping the platform cost efficient.

The airframe includes two 50×50 mm mounting hardpoints (which also support 30×30 mm and 20×20 mm patterns) and four 1×1 inch side mounts to accommodate a wide range of payloads and sensing equipment. Internally, I included three power rails: 22.2V for propulsion, 12V for onboard compute (Jetson), VTX, and higher draw sensors, and 5V for most logic and low power sensing systems (there is also isolated 3v3 for GPIO).

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Earlier designs of the 5 ft drone:

Major design changes have taken place from the first concept to now (the first prototype)

Facchetti Lab Internship (Summer, 2026)

3 foot UAV for payload and hardware testing (2025)

I built this UAS after acquiring a beat up frame, motors, and some other core components at low cost. After significant cleanup, some extra part design in CAD, and replacement of most critical electronics and a couple structural parts, I developed a super cost effective test platform for payload integration and validation before to scaling to the 5 foot UAV.

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2 foot UAV (2025)

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3 foot UGV for drone transport (2025-26)

I have been interested in developing a ground mothership platform for UAVs (which can also fill many other roles) for many years. This 3 foot UGV is designed to transport the 5 foot UAV and smaller platforms, serving as a mobile deployment and recovery system. The long term goal is to create a configurable ground vehicle capable of rough terrain transport, autonomous navigation, and integrating modular mission equipment.

8um microbolometer thermal (2026)

I began designing this 8 µm LWIR microbolometer thermal optic after completing my initial experiments with handheld and helmet mounted thermals. My goal was to create a compact, lightweight, and durable observation device suited to extended field use or easily used for inspection, fire, etc. The design prioritizes environmental sealing, rigidity, and reliability, while also prioritizing ergonomics and serviceability.

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12um microbolometer thermal (2026)

First thermal optic and early thermal development (2025)

After acquiring my first industrial thermal cores, I was interested in creating hand held and later, helmet mounted thermal imaging systems, along with drone gimabls. This experiment was my first true step into thermal imaging and thermal systems integration.

Custom gen II night vision tube
(mx9644/UV intensifier) (2025)

This experiment was my first exploration into night vision beyond gen 1 systems.

Lora system (2026):

I created this LoRa communication system to enable custom command and telemetry between my unmanned platforms, with configurable encryption and frequency flexibility. I later integrated it along with a bunch of sensors around a Raspberry Pi, creating an early prototype for a lightweight situational awareness and command system.

3 axis drone gimbal (2025-26)

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1 axis thermal gimbal (2025)

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Rotary drop mechanism (2025-26)

This deployment module is capable of dropping up to 6 8x2 inch or 21 8x1 inch tubes for deploying sensors into hard to reach areas.

I developed this system to explore methods of remotely placing lightweight sensing or relay devices in areas that are difficult to access from the ground, enabling rapid deployment of nodes for weather data collection, communication, etc.

Dual servo actuated pin dropper (2026)

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STM32H7VIT6 Based Gimbal/Sensor Ball Controller (2026)

Dual Jetson drone computer (early development stage) (2026)

I am developing this dual compute system to run Model Predictive Control (MPC) and transformer based flight models on small UAV and UGV platforms. The idea is to create a compact onboard compute system capable of running models and performing high level control for advanced autonomy (while still relying off moredeterministic systems) without exceeding power, weight, and size constraints.