John Hong
San Francisco, CA
I’m a product designer working at the intersection of hardware and software. Whether it’s a machine interface, mobile/web app, or a physical product, I design experiences that put people at the center of innovation.
My background spans physical and digital domains, enabling me to conceive and execute holistic solutions across mediums. I hold a BS in Product Design (HCI focus) and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, where I specialized in physical product design and manufacturing.
I was most recently at Sanas.AI as a Product Design Engineer, where I designed solutions for live language translation. Now, I’m prototyping the next chapter of my life.
Projects
One Micron Mechanism
May 2024
Stanford, CA
As part of the coursework from Precision Engineering (ME324), I developed a fine positioning mechanism capable of micron-level translation using differential screw and flexure-based design—within a 3-week timeline.
The mechanism features a mostly 3D-printed assembly: the housing (white) is FDM-printed in PLA, the differential screw is SLA-printed in Formlabs Durable resin, the dial is laser-cut, and the aluminum flexure is waterjet-cut.
Final performance, measured via micrometer and CMM, yielded an RMS position error of 6.10 µm and a mean repeatability error of 7.25 µm.
Concept & Early Iterations
Final Designs
Testing & Resuts
Final PerformanceTest Setup
Dial Indicator
- Used 2 standard hold down sets (strap clamp, step block) to secure position of mechanism.
- Secured the dial indicator in front of mechanism, set tip of dial indicator to red nose of mechanism.
Performance
- RMS Position Error: 6.10 µm
- Mean Repeatability Error: 7.25 µm
Key Learnings
- I observed a consistent anomaly when targeting 88 µm—results were significantly off compared to other trials. I suspect this deviation may be due to material behavior of the screw under load or an issue with the dial indicator setup.
- The flexure exhibited a subtle drift: it would initially reach the target position, then slowly contract by ~2 µm. This may be due to the nut being free in translation or time-dependent material deformation (e.g., creep or stress relaxation).
Final Product