Our team of 10 engineers (5 mechanical, 5 electrical/computer) built Matcha Flow, a fully automated countertop matcha machine for a client. The machine heats water, dispenses matcha, and whisks the drink with one press of a button. I designed and built the whisking subsystem.


I used a scotch yoke mechanism: a stepper motor spins a disk whose pin drives a yoke slider, moving the whisk back and forth. I 3D printed the structural parts, using heat-set inserts for durable threaded connections and set screws to secure rotating parts to the shaft. I sourced the whisk, shaft, and motor off the shelf to stay within our $2,500 budget. The biggest challenge was fitting the mechanism into a compact body with the other subsystems, which I solved by coordinating motor placement and wire routing with the electrical team. Since the whisk should be removable, I added spring plungers to the whisk collar so it can be removed by hand for cleaning.

The subsystem whisks each drink for about 20 seconds to a frothy, traditional consistency, completing a fully hands-off cycle delivered to our client within budget. At our project showcase, the machine served about 100 cups of matcha without a single failure. This project strengthened my skills in mechanism design and taught me how to integrate mechanical and electrical subsystems into one reliable product.

Follow along by clicking on each photo to read its brief description