profile

Zach Rutman

Student | Developer | Experimenter

About Me

I'm an undergraduate studying Electrical Engineering and Materials Science, and I've spent a long time programming. I love to build things with a purpose, tinker around, and learn new things. I'm currently reading The Iliad, and I recommend Sam Kean's The Disappearing Spoon. Feel free to contact me at the email above.

Projects

Photo of assembled lamp

NudgeLamps


Pair of lamps using WS2812B LED strips controlled by a wifi-enabled ESP32 using MQTT to synchronize state and send messages

Screenshot of extension

Gradescope Assignment Overview


Browser extension to provide an overview of Gradescope assignments for every registered course. Allows students to more easily view their assigned work and status.

Uh... Patchy


Working HTTPS 1.1 server implemented from scratch with support for TLS, caching, and connection reuse. Written for Computer Science Independent Study course.

SQLiter


Working SQLite-style database implemented from scratch, including database VM for query evaluation, cross-filesystem portability, and B-tree-based indexing. Written for Computer Science Independent Study course.

Screenshot of stream overlay during the 2023 event

FRC Team 1540 - Fowlfield


Built event management software in Go and JS for our team's off-season event (BunnyBots) to control robots, match scoring and webcasts, integrating with external APIs and the FRC control system. Used websockets to communicate in real time between webpages, indicator lights, physical buttons, scoring tablets, and backend systems. Supports event of over 500 students every year

Screenshot of synced spreadsheet

FRC Team 1540 - CLUCK Time Tracking


Rebuilt a system for tracking team member hours using Slack, Google Sheets, and a custom web interface. Used Jest for unit testing and Node.js with Typescript for the backend

2026 Robot

FRC Team 1540 - Robot Code


Manager of Team 1540's robot software department, writing code to control 120lb robots autonomously and with driver input

You made it!
Ask me to tell you the story of John the Jeweler, John the Frequent Flier, or John the Florist

Last Updated October 2026