live status

What I'm
building right now.

Updated when there's meaningful progress to record. Not a backlog — a working log.

Maglev Hyperloop Scale Model

Debugging lateral guide roller friction budget

Building a 1:20 scale passive-levitation test rig using Halbach arrays and an aluminum guideway. The core challenge right now is lateral stability — passive EDS systems lift vertically without feedback control, but they're neutrally stable sideways and need guided contact above the levitation threshold. Current work is on integrating flanged guide rollers without introducing enough friction to kill the lift-to-drag ratio.

Last updated February 10, 2025

Infrastructure DCF Model — Greenfield Toll Road

Calibrating traffic ramp-up model against 407 ETR public filings

Extending the Monte Carlo DCF framework to handle a specific greenfield toll road case study, using public data from the 407 ETR in Ontario as a calibration baseline. The current focus is on modeling demand ramp-up — the most volatile and misforecast phase of any new toll facility — using a S-curve adoption model with uncertainty bounds drawn from comparable corridor openings.

Last updated February 5, 2025

Comparative Study: Rail Privatisation Outcomes

Reading and annotating — early literature review phase

Reviewing the empirical literature on rail network privatisation across the UK, Japan, and Australia to understand what contract structures and regulatory frameworks actually produced better maintenance and on-time performance. Most takes on privatisation are ideological; I'm interested in the cases where outcomes diverged from predictions and why. Early finding: the regulatory reset mechanism matters more than the ownership structure.

Last updated January 28, 2025