Xander Neeskens | Engineering Portfolio

00. Profile & Technical Competencies

Academic & Professional Baseline

Current Education:
Bachelor of Electrical & Electronics Engineering (Honours)
Relevant Coursework:
MATLAB & C, Analog/Digital Electronics, Object-Oriented Programming, Physics IE.
Academic Performance:
ATAR 92.1 (Australian Science & Mathematics School).
Professional Distinction:
"Youngest Hire" at IKEA; Promoted to Acting Coordinator.

Technical Arsenal

CAD & Manufacturing:

Fusion 360 (Curriculum Developer Level - Trained Teachers), SolidWorks, AutoCAD, FDM 3D Printing (>100 parts prototyped).

Programming & Embedded:

Python, Java, C/C++, MATLAB, Assembly, HTML/CSS/JS/XAML.
Specialisation: Circuit Debugging, BCI/Biomedical Devices.

Leadership & Strategy:

Trained 12+ staff members (IKEA); Team Lead (F1 in Schools); Mentored students transitioning to Engineering degrees.

01. Engineering Research & Systems

BCI-Based Drone Control System

Lead Researcher & Engineer | 2023–2024

OpenBCI Ganglion Arduino C++/Nano RF Telemetry (433MHz) PID Control

Objective: Developed a wireless, hands-free flight control system utilising EEG (Brainwave) data. The system interprets Beta (13-30Hz) and Gamma (30-45Hz) waves to manipulate drone altitude in real-time.

Technical Solution: Engineered a custom "air-gapped" 433MHz RF bridge to bypass Bluetooth serial limitations. Migrated flight controller from Arduino Uno to Nano to meet 250g weight/thrust requirements.

Early Engineering & Inventions

Oliphant Awards & Independent Projects | 2020–2023

Mechatronics Sensor Automation Renewable Energy

Designed and fabricated original engineering models, demonstrating versatility across mechanical, electrical, and sensor-based domains.

Oliphant Science Awards Inventions:

Robotic Arm (2022): Fully functional articulated arm for object manipulation.
Solar Powered Phone Charger: Portable renewable energy circuit for mobile devices.
Aerospace Model: High-fidelity rocket demonstrating aerodynamic principles.

Independent Projects:

Rotating Solar Panel (2023): Automated system that actively rotates towards light sources for maximum efficiency.
Endothermic Sensor Module (2022): Automated temperature/humidity tracker for monitoring chemical reactions in plants.

02. Entrepreneurship & Leadership

Anti-Guru Learning

Founder & Educator | 2025–Present

Curriculum Design Education Tech Mentorship

Founded a profitable engineering education business. Developed a 24-module technical troubleshooting course and mentored high school students transitioning into engineering.

Academic Collaboration: Developed "Visual Concentration Indication" systems used as teaching material for a Flinders University PhD workshop.

"Pitch a Pie" App Prototype

Award Winner | 2025

Rapid Prototyping UI/UX Public Speaking

Led an award-winning team pitch. Designed, built, and demonstrated a fully working app prototype live to judges.

Achievement: Winner of the Pitch a Pie Entrepreneurial Award (2025).

03. Corporate Process Optimisation

IKEA Workflow Automation Tools

Process Innovator & Acting Coordinator | 2023–Present

Excel VBA Workflow Automation Data Analysis

Designed and deployed custom Excel-based automation tools to track stock and schedule projects. These tools are currently used daily by department management to reduce manual workload.

Leadership: Served as temporary Acting Coordinator during a critical period. Orchestrated a high-velocity campaign that sold 1 week’s stock in 3 days, led a department rebuild, and personally trained 12+ new staff.

04. Competitive Engineering

F1 in Schools - National Silver Medalist

Team Lead | 2021

Fusion 360 Aerodynamics CNC Manufacturing

Team Lead for a national racing team. Managed the end-to-end design, manufacturing, and testing of a miniature CO2-powered F1 car.

Result: Achieved 2nd Place Nationally. Oversaw CAD modelling and aerodynamic optimisation.

05. Certificates & Recognition