Biomedical Engineering · UT Knoxville

Hi! I'm Ethan, and I build things.

I'm an engineering student at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Neuroscience. I'm passionate about robotics, neuroscience, and environmental stewardship, and I try to do a lot with a little: impactful technology that brings people together and forward.

See my projects LinkedIn
Ethan Wheeler

Projects

Currently building
CAD render of the full third arm assembly

Motion-Tracked Third Arm

A motion-tracked robotic third arm driven by teleoperation, shown here in CAD and simulation.

  • Robotics
  • Teleoperation
  • Simulation
2026 – now
On hiatus
First spin test of the axial flux motor

Axial Flux Motor

A pancake-shaped permanent magnet motor designed for a high power-to-weight ratio.

  • Electromagnetics
  • Fusion 360
  • Mechatronics
2026
Resumé Arm demo video

Resumé Arm

A robotic arm and paper dispenser that hands out my resume, built on a $600 self-funded budget.

  • Robotics
  • C++
  • 3D printing
Oct 2025 – Feb 2026
Rear hub motor fitted to a mountain bike

Electric Bike Conversions

Mountain and road bikes converted to electric power, with custom battery packs, on a $250 budget.

  • E-mobility
  • Battery design
Oct 2024 – May 2025

Experience

  1. Engineering Intern

    United States Public Health Service – Indian Health Service · May 2025 – Aug 2025

    • Oversaw civil engineering construction projects for medical facilities.
    • Inspected water treatment systems on Indian reservations, including pumps and storage tanks.
    • Performed environmental audits for the EPA on reservation sites.

  2. Quality Engineer Intern

    Kelvion · Jan 2024 – May 2024

    • Inspected heat exchanger manufacturing and tracked supply chain issues.
    • Read complex engineering drawings and shadowed senior engineers.

  3. Research Assistant

    Karolinska Institute (Stockholm) · Jan 2024 – May 2024

    • Performed immunochemistry fluorescent staining on human brain tissue samples.
    • Analyzed protein expression patterns in specific brain regions.
    Research poster & lab photosSee the full research page

  4. Drone Pilot

    UT NIMBios Lab · June 2023 – May 2025

    • Piloted a Mavic 2 Enterprise for thermal and visual spatial analysis.
    • Managed airworthiness checks and flight data registration.

Toolbox

Technical design

  • Fusion 360
  • Blender
  • Adobe Suite
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • 3D printing

Engineering

  • Drone piloting (Mavic 2E)
  • Mechatronics
  • Signal analysis
  • System dynamics
  • Circuit design

Professional

  • Laboratory procedures
  • Technical writing
  • Immunochemistry
  • Environmental audits
  • International experience