Luke Dysart · Engineering & Creative Work

Imagination, engineered.

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About

I'm Luke Dysart, a junior studying Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, originally from Chantilly, Virginia. I've never been particularly drawn to following a conventional path. Whether it's engineering, research, or art, I'm usually more curious about what hasn't been done than what already has.

At Vanderbilt, I contribute to combat casualty surgery research in the Biomedical Modeling Lab. Before transferring, I studied at CU Boulder, where my team won the Electrical, Computing, and Energy Engineering Design Expo.

I was part of the Colorado Buffaloes' 2025 National Championship team and now serve as Secretary of Vanderbilt Club Hockey. As the son of two Marines, service has always been part of my life, and I'm working toward becoming an Air Force Combat Rescue Officer.

A surprising amount of what I've done started on a whim, just to see where an idea might lead. I couldn't tell you what I'll take on next, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm also still known to make a good playlist.

Current research · Biomedical Modeling Lab ↗

Earlier research · Genetic Logic Lab ↗

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Engineering

Selected projects in robotics, computer vision, biomedical engineering, and interactive systems.

Robotics · Computer Vision · Human–Machine Interaction

Project MIMIC

A robotic hand that moves with you.

MIMIC translates human hand movements into real-time robotic motion. Using computer vision to track finger positions, the system estimates individual finger bends and sends those values to an Arduino-controlled robotic hand.

The result is a direct connection between human movement and physical machinery, without gloves, controllers, or wearable sensors.

Explore Project

Augmented Reality · Biomedical Engineering · Combat Casualty Care

MARY

MARY is a confidential augmented-reality project developed in connection with combat casualty care research at Vanderbilt University. The project has involved prototyping and testing at Vanderbilt and Fort Campbell.

Confidential · details under NDA

Interactive Storytelling · Projection · Animatronics

Stories Illuminated In Development

What if the illustrations could tell the story, too?

Stories Illuminated is an interactive storybook that uses concealed projection and animatronics to bring its illustrations to life. Inspired by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the project explores how a physical book can become an entirely new kind of storytelling experience.

Explore Project
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Project Logs

Video updates straight from the bench — walking through what I'm building, what broke, and what's next. New entries drop as the projects evolve.

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Creative Art

A selection of visual work. More pieces coming soon.

More art on Instagram · @dys_art13

Commission a piece

Available for custom artwork and collaborations — pencil and charcoal portraits, acrylic paintings, hand-painted objects and apparel, laser-cut and engraved pieces, and mixed art/engineering work. Tell me what you have in mind.

Request a commission
Currently collaborating with Royal Fades Nashville · Amber Mandell (art)
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To the People Who Made Me

I am who I am because of the people who came before me and the people who stood beside me.

I've been fortunate enough to have a support system that I couldn't have asked to be better. Family, friends, teammates, mentors, teachers, and people whose paths crossed mine for only a moment have all shaped who I am. Some of you may never realize how much you changed my life, but I carry those experiences with me every day.

The early mornings, late nights, hard workouts, and seemingly impossible goals become a lot easier when I remember the people who believed in me, challenged me, and showed me what was possible. I know that the opportunities I've had and the things I've accomplished are built on the time, sacrifices, and encouragement of so many others.

I want to give everything I am to the people and communities that made me.

I want to chase the ideas that seem absurd, attempt the things people say can't be done, and hopefully make the impossible feel a little more possible for someone else. Not simply to prove that I can, but because so many people have done that for me.

Whether you've known me my entire life or were only part of it for a day, thank you. Every conversation, opportunity, and act of kindness has contributed to the person behind this portfolio.

I hope that somewhere along the way, I can give someone else even a fraction of the confidence you've given me.

And to the people I haven't met yet, I hope I can do the same for you.

The Places That Shaped Me

Orange County, CaliforniaOhioNorthern VirginiaMarylandWashington, D.C.Boulder, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoNashville, Tennessee

Each place has given me people, experiences, and memories that I wouldn't trade for anything. Every one of these communities has helped make me who I am.

A special thank-you to my brother

Robert Dysart

Rob, I don't think you'll ever fully understand how much you've influenced my life.

You were the one who forged a path before I even knew where I wanted to go. You showed me how to approach challenges, how to figure things out, and how to keep moving when something seemed out of reach. So much of the way I think, work, and approach the world today started with watching you.

I may have taken those lessons in my own direction, but I wouldn't approach life the way I do without you.

Thanks Bobert