Carl F. Richter

Designer and Builder

Competitive Sailor

CU Boulder Class of 2029

About Me

I'm Carl Richter, a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Colorado Boulder with a championship-winning background in competitive robotics and a portfolio of nearly 100 awards and recognitions across my many pursuits. With a passion for pushing technical boundaries and a proven record of excellence in both collaborative and independent projects, I'm driven to make a lasting impact in the field of mechanical design and advanced prototyping.

Competitive VEX Robotics

Awards:

Worlds Excellence Award

Worlds Design Award

Worlds Division Finalists

Worlds Amaze Award

Sig Event Excellence Award

Sig Event Tournament Champs

Sig Event Skills Champion

Sig Event Think Award

Sig Event Innovate Award

State Excellence Award

State Tournament Champion

State Skills Champion

States Design Award

States Tournament Finalists

Local Excellence Award

Local Tournament Champion

Local Skills Champion

Local Design Award

10x

12x

10x

Design Experience:

Hundreds of hours of Fusion 360 experience
300+ component assemblies
Advanced CAD techniques: sheet metal, automated modeling, configurations, etc...
Motion studies—simulation and optimization of linkages
Wrote hundreds of pages of technical documentation
Multi page dynamics based calculations
Filmed/edited robot reveals and ran a team YouTube channel that has accumulated over 200,000 views

Overview:

As the former lead designer and builder for VEX VRC Team 2654P, “Pronounce This,” I led development on advanced subsystems and full CAD workflows using Fusion 360. In 2024, our team earned the Worlds Excellence Award—VEX’s highest honor—selected from over 10,000 global teams. I concluded my competitive robotics career ranked #3 worldwide with Team 2654E in the 2024–2025 Robot Skills Challenge. Now a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Colorado Boulder, I carry forward this foundation of hands-on innovation, technical leadership, and design precision into advanced prototyping and mechanical systems work.

Design and Building Projects

Overview:

In my free time, I’m usually building something—RC sailboats, charging stations, gearboxes, custom furniture, or whatever idea I’m chasing next. I’ve taken on a wide range of projects and picked up solid experience with CAD, 3D printing, CNC, woodworking, and laser cutting along the way.

Underwater Robotics (MATE)

Overview:

As part of an advanced robotics class through the Innovation Center, I competed in the Navigator Class at the MATE regional competition in 2022 and 2024. I was responsible for the majority of the design, manufacturing, and electrical work throughout both years, and had huge success as a result.

Awards:

2024 Mate Regionals:

Professional Excellence Award
1st Place Navigator Class (Winning margin of over 100%)

2022 Mate Regionals:

2nd Place Navigator Class

Design Experience:

Onshape based ROV design
Project management
Electrical design: soldering, electrical schematics, and wire management
Rapid prototyping
Manufacturing components (3-D printing and laser cutting)
Environmental and sustainability research

Competitive Sailing

Overview:

I’ve been sailing since age 7 and racing since 9, competing in a variety of single and double-handed dinghies. As an instructor at Community Sailing of Colorado (CSC) and a member of Union Sailing Club (USC), I’ve developed a thorough understanding of the sport. I’ve also placed competitively in national and regional regattas in the Laser, RS Tera, and Mutineer classes.