Prototypes & custom mechanisms
One-off mechanisms, proof-of-concept hardware, and small robotics that take your idea from sketch to something you can actually try.
DEFINE · DESIGN · DELIVER
Custom hardware,
built around your problem.
Rice Design & Innovation uses creative problem solving and thoughtful prototyping to turn your goals and constraints into a working solution.
What we can build together
Artistic, technical, electrical, or mechanical—if your idea needs a physical home, we can figure it out. These are common shapes projects take, not limits.
Mechatronics & motion systems
Motors, sensors, and control logic working together for automation, actuation, and capacity-control style systems.
Test rigs & endurance benches
Long-cycle rigs and fixtures that exercise your hardware thousands or millions of times while logging useful data.
Custom electronics & firmware
Microcontroller boards, interface circuits, and firmware that tie your mechanical system to the outside world.
Service tools & GUIs
Small desktop tools that talk to your devices for commissioning, tuning, and troubleshooting.
Art, props & playful builds
Animated props, light-based pieces, and custom showpieces where art and hardware share the same breadboard.
Selected work
A quick sample; each project blends design, fabrication, and control work in different proportions.
Knee Augmentation Brace – ACL Rehab
Telepresence Robotic Arm
Rotary Valve “Cyclotron” Test Rig
Capacity Control Service Tool
Want deeper write-ups, tools lists, and images for each project? The portfolio can grow with as much detail as you need.
How we work
Enough structure to keep things on track, not so much that it slows the build down.
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1
Define the problem
Short call and a few sketches. What are we trying to accomplish? What are the constraints and success criteria?
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2
Design & prototype
Concepts turn into CAD, schematics, and a first build. We iterate quickly with check-ins and clear decisions.
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3
Test & refine
The prototype is exercised, debugged, and refined. You get hardware, drawings, and firmware that can be used or handed off.
About Rice Design & Innovation
A one-person design & prototyping studio focused on projects that don’t fit neatly into “buy it off the shelf” or “hire a full R&D team.”
Background spans medical device work, industrial controls, robotics, and plenty of late nights next to a 3D printer. That mix makes it easier to cross between mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries without handing things off between teams.
Typical projects include custom tools, small robots, animated props, test rigs, and microcontroller projects—plus the CAD, electronics, firmware, and fabrication needed to pull them together.
Have a project in mind?
Send a short description of what you’re trying to build, any constraints, and your timeline. Sketches, photos, and half-baked ideas are welcome.
Email contact@ricedi.us
Attach whatever you have—drawings, spec sheets, or a quick phone photo of a whiteboard.