CHELBIAN
// Kelton Chelbian  ·  Chicago, IL

I Build
Things

Automotive diagnostics. Embedded systems. Robotics. Software. If it has wires, an engine, or a compiler, I've probably taken it apart.

SACA C-101
SACA C-202
SACA C-202
FRC Team 4156
Scroll to explore
01

About Me

I'm a high school senior with a hands-on technical mind and a creative drive that pushes me past surface-level answers. I don't approach problems academically — I approach them the way a mechanic or an engineer does:

What is it actually doing? What's really causing that? How do I fix it?

My interests span automotive diagnostics and performance tuning, electronics and power systems, computer vision and robotics, and software development. I've always learned fastest by building something real, breaking it, and debugging my way back. That process is where I'm genuinely in my element.

I hold SACA certifications in manufacturing and automation, competed on FRC Team 4156 as a developer and builder, and I'm constantly running projects across multiple domains at the same time.

3
SACA Certifications (C-101, C-201, C-202)
4+
Technical Domains (Auto, Embedded, Robotics, Software)
FRC
Team 4156 — Developer & Builder
∞
Projects Currently Running at Once
02

Skills

Automotive
ECU diagnostics SCT X4 tuning Fuel trims / AFR Exhaust fabrication O2 sensor analysis Bodywork / rust repair Performance tuning
Electronics & Power
Li-ion battery systems PWM motor control BMS / CC-CV charging Arduino DC power systems Car audio 18650 cell harvesting
Software
Python Java (WPILib) OpenSCAD / 3D design NetworkTables Computer vision (YOLO) Linux CLI PyInstaller
Robotics
FRC (Team 4156) Swerve drive systems Limelight / AprilTag Jetson / NanoOWL Phoenix 6 CSI cameras
PC / Networking
Windows & Linux Throttling diagnostics Pi-hole / DHCP Multi-GPU setup Audio routing VPN passthrough
Certified
SACA C-101 SACA C-201 SACA C-202 Manufacturing fundamentals Industrial automation
03

Projects

Robotics ● Active 2025–26
FRC Team 4156 — Vision & Swerve Integration
Built a complete WPILib Java project with Phoenix 6 for a competition robot. Integrated Limelight 3 for ball detection and AprilTag targeting. Set up NanoOWL on a Jetson coprocessor and debugged GPIO conflicts, NetworkTables communication, and CSI camera failures during a live competition season. Chose functional simplicity over over-engineered solutions — a sign of real engineering judgment.
Electronics ● Completed 2026
DIY High-Performance Water Gun
Harvested Samsung 18650 cells from WORX drill packs to build a 7.4V series pack. Designed a custom 3D-printable WORX PowerShare battery adapter in OpenSCAD through three iterative revisions — cantilever latch, spade connectors, wire routing. Wired a PWM motor controller for variable speed. Functional, low-budget, fully original.
Automotive ● Ongoing 2024–
2015 Ford Fusion — Performance & Diagnostics
Tuned a 2.5L I4 with an SCT X4 tuner alongside aftermarket intake and Vibrant/Dynomax exhaust. Actively monitors AFR, STFT/LTFT, knock sensor PIDs, and O2 sensor behavior. Diagnosed rich/lean conditions, O2 sensor heat soak, and EVAP system suspects. Treats the car as a living diagnostic project, not just a vehicle.
Software ● Completed 2026
Windows Hotspot / VPN Passthrough Applet
Built a Python system tray application using pystray and PowerShell subprocess calls to manage a Wi-Fi dongle hotspot with ProtonVPN/Cloudflare WARP passthrough. Configured ICS to share through the VPN virtual adapter. Packaged as a standalone .exe with PyInstaller. Solved a real personal networking problem with a clean custom tool.
04

Resume

kelton_chelbian_resume.html  ·  Inferred from conversation history
Kelton Chelbian
I don't wait to be handed answers. I take things apart, figure out how they work, and build something better.
01 Who I Am

I'm a high school senior with a hands-on technical mind and a creative drive that pushes me past surface-level answers. I don't approach problems academically — I approach them the way a mechanic or engineer does: What is it actually doing? What's really causing that? How do I fix it?

My interests span automotive diagnostics, electronics and power systems, computer vision and robotics, and software development — and I work across all of them at the same time. I learn fastest by building something real, breaking it, and debugging my way back.

02 Strong Suits
Systems Thinking
I connect cause and effect across complex systems — ECU fuel trims, GPIO conflicts on a Jetson, motor brownout under load. I don't just address symptoms.
Iterative Problem Solving
Test → observe → adjust → repeat. Applied to Li-ion systems, 3D-printed adapter design, FRC vision pipelines, and exhaust decisions. I'm comfortable not knowing the answer on the first try.
Resourcefulness
Built a high-performance device from $15 of harvested Walmart battery cells. Budget and access limitations sharpen my thinking rather than stopping it.
Creative Initiative
I don't wait for a defined project. I see something interesting and I start exploring it. That self-starter energy means I generate ideas rather than wait for them.
03 Technical Skills
Automotive ECU diagnostics SCT X4 tuning Fuel trims / AFR Exhaust fabrication
Electronics Li-ion systems PWM motor control BMS / CC-CV Arduino
Software Python Java (WPILib) OpenSCAD Linux CLI
Robotics FRC Team 4156 Swerve drive AprilTag / Limelight Jetson / NanoOWL
Certified SACA C-101 SACA C-201 SACA C-202
04 Real Projects
Robotics ● Active
FRC Team 4156 — Vision & Swerve Integration
WPILib Java, Phoenix 6, Limelight 3 AprilTag targeting, NanoOWL on Jetson, full competition season debugging.
Electronics ● Completed
DIY High-Performance Water Gun
18650 cell harvesting, OpenSCAD adapter (3 iterations), PWM motor control, BMS integration. Fully original design.
Automotive ● Ongoing
Ford Fusion Performance & Diagnostics
SCT X4 tuning, AFR/LTFT/STFT monitoring, exhaust fabrication, O2 sensor diagnostics. Treats the car as a diagnostic project.
05 The Bottom Line

I'm not the candidate who studied the textbook and passed the test. I'm the one who took the engine apart in the driveway, figured out why it was running lean at idle, fixed it, and then went inside to work on a robot. I learn fast, I don't give up when it gets complicated, and I bring genuine curiosity to every problem I touch. That's not something you can teach — it's just how I'm wired.

— Kelton Chelbian, inferred from 50+ conversations with Claude
Kelton Chelbian · keltonchelbiansite.com April 2026
05

Contact

I'm a high school senior actively looking for opportunities in manufacturing, automation, automotive tech, and robotics. If you're building something interesting, I want to hear about it.

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