Ryan Thrasher

Mechanical Engineer

Image of Ryan Thrasher in MIG welding attire looking at the camera and giving a thumbs up

I’m a Mechanical Engineering student at Olin College of Engineering who likes taking ideas from conversations and sketches to CAD models, machined parts, and working systems. I care about building things that are useful, reliable, and grounded in real needs, whether it is an accessible note taking tool or a playful line follower.

On Olin Baja SAE,I design and machine parts such as an FEA optimized trailing arm and a custom steering wheel. On Olin Rocketry’s I work on composites, where I fabricate carbon fiber structures, develop trimming and layup tooling, and improve process accuracy and repeatability.

Through my work in the PLAI Lab and EducateAI, I design and test accessible health technologies that combine mechanical prototypes, sensors, and AI driven interaction. I led development on EchoMinds, an accessible note taking app for Blind and Visually Impaired users, and improved onboarding and usability for multimodal health tools used by older adults.

I am drawn to projects that start with people and result in something real, work that moves from early ideas to components that you can build, test, refine, and trust.