Montclair, New Jersey

Michael Starpoli

Mechanical engineer & software developer

I’m a mechanical engineer who also builds software. Lately, that’s meant an FE exam study platform, a project dashboard, and some engineering tools. Here’s a selection of my own work.

Projects

Study platform Dashboard CAD Python

The Engineer’s Method

Personal project · In development

An FE Mechanical study platform that brings practice questions, study planning, and review together. A learner can take a diagnostic, work through a set of questions, and return to topics they missed.

I’ve worked on the requirements, engineering content, and interface workflows, using AI-assisted coding during development. The screenshots below are from a development build.

Dashboard, with the next study action above the progress summary.

A closer look

The solving and review views are separate. Answers become available after submission, and the server checks that the session belongs to the learner. Missed questions can feed into redo sets and an error journal.

Build details

Next.js, React, TypeScript, and Tailwind; Prisma/PostgreSQL for stored data and Supabase for authentication. Browser checks use Playwright alongside content validators.

This is still a development project, not a launched service. The screenshots don’t represent customer activity.

Project House

Working prototype

A small dashboard for seeing a project’s stage and next steps without opening several separate lists.

It uses plain JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The three views share the same data; picking a project updates the summary and focus panel. This demo uses fictional projects and doesn’t save changes.

Open the demo Read the JavaScript

Try the different views. In House, select a room to see its next steps.

Modular avionics tray

CAD concept · Fusion

VIAT-250 assembly. Click to inspect the model.

A packaging study for a removable avionics tray. The assembly includes mounting slots, isolators, retention hardware, and space to reach the connectors.

I developed this as an original work sample with scripted modeling assistance. Checks covered the fastener seating, isolator stack, materials, and interference between components.

Model checks and limits

26 assembly occurrences. Modeled mass: 1.284 kg, excluding reference equipment and keep-out geometry. No positive-volume interference above 0.001 mm³ in the retained CAD check.

Native Fusion and STEP deliverables. This is a concept model; it has not been physically tested or flight-qualified.

Checking a contact-mechanics solution

Python · Engineering evaluation

This problem uses a mounting plate with compression-only supports and a tension-only bolt. The tricky part is working out which contacts are active, then checking both force and moment equilibrium.

I used a Python reference to check all 32 candidate contact states. At the test load, the model’s response missed vertical equilibrium by 81 kN. The checked solution gives pad reactions of 27 and 58 kN, with 5 kN of downward bolt tension.

Read the model response

An original AI-assisted evaluation exercise, checked with exact arithmetic.

A bit about me

My background is in mechanical and aerospace engineering. My software projects tend to come from the same interests: learning, calculations, and keeping technical work organized.

I’m interested in frontend development and technical tools, as well as engineering design and AI evaluation work.