Mo Zhou

I am a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Toronto. I am interested in aviation and have been trying to figure out the details of building my own RC plane since February 2026.

I was first introduced to engineering through VEX Robotics, which I competed in from 2020 to 2025 on teams 886Y and 87265B. I went to the VEX World Championship in 2024 and 2025, winning the Build Award there in 2025, and in my 2025 season we won 8 of the 13 tournaments we entered and were finalists at 2 more, including BC provincials. From this experience, I found that CAD is what I enjoy doing the most.

Since July 2026, I have been looking into incorporating AI into my CAD workflow to achieve better results. This has led to tools like the Airfoil Converter that automate parts of my modelling through scripts. I have also been working on a better way to print and post-process parts, like the Plane Slicer, which so far has allowed me to manufacture much more complex designs in LW‑PLA without having to design around spiral vase mode.

CAD

SolidWorks, including surfacing with boundary surfaces and lofts, drawings and renders. Inventor and Fusion 360. Blender for rendering.

Analysis

SolidWorks Flow Simulation (CFD). AeroSandbox for aircraft aerodynamics.

Fabrication

3D printing, including a custom slicer. Machining, laser cutting, CNC.

Software

Claude Code. SolidWorks API scripting. C++, Python.

Oct 2026 – present

University of Toronto Aerospace Team, Unmanned Aerial Systems. SAE Aerodynamics sub‑team member, working on the Plane Slicer for LW‑PLA and CAD in SolidWorks.

Aug 2026

Valode & Pistre, China. Architectural renderings in Blender, scripted with Claude Code.