Skills
Robotics
Extreme Environment Field Testing

Field team lead, pilotage, operations and safety

System Integration and Architecture

Full stack autonomoy system development at both hardware and software levels

Embedded Systems, C/C++, ROS1/2

Low level driver development, safety critical systems, ROS1/2 interfacing

Aeronautics
Rapid Prototyping and Design

3D printing, laser cutting, mill/lathe for rapid design iteration

Aircraft Design and System Identification

Fixed-wing, multirotor and powered-lift aircraft

UAS Pilot / Ground Station Operator

Part 107 certified, AMA Fixed-Wing Gold Wings, Test Pilot, R/C Hobbyist

Software
Coding

ROS1/ROS2, MATLAB, C/C++, Arduino, git, Python, bash

UAS

ArduPilot, Mission Planner, qgroundcontrol, PX4, multi-rotor, fixed-wing

CAD

Solidworks, Inventor, KiCAD

General

Microsoft Office, LATEX, Windows, Linux

Certifications
UAS

Part 107 (FAA), Fixed-Wing Gold Wings (MAAA)

Safety

First Aid / CPR (American Red Cross), Mental Health First Aid (National Council)

Experience

Staff Scientist

Gharib Research Group, Caltech

  • Firefighting
  • X4 Racing Drone

Staff Scientist / PostDoc / Lecturer

Autonomous Robotics and Control Lab (ARCL), Caltech

  • Lead systems architect, project manager and field deployment (Indy Autonomous Challenge)
  • Lead systems integrator, management and field deployment (DARPA LINC, JPL collab.)
  • Developed a UAV-borne volcanic gas sampling and autonomy system (Volcano Drone)
  • Led UAS hardware and flight operations for multistatic SAR multi-UAS (DARTS, JPL collab.)
  • Assisted with hardware design and operations for tube-launched UAS (SQUID, JPL collab.)
  • Overhauled design of low-level firmware and robotic hardware (DARPA SubT, JPL collab.)
  • Flight test pilot for UAS, ground vehicles (including Indy NXT) and surface vessels.
  • Design of technology demonstrator aircraft (Autonomous Flying Ambulance)
  • Supported 10+ technically diverse ARCL robotics projects towards success
  • Ensured UAS regulatory compliance for both NASA (public) and Part 107 UAS
  • Developed and lectured Experimental Robotics course (ME/CS/EE 129)

PostDoc / Hardware Integrator

DARPA Subterranean Challenge (SubT), Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Led hardware development of a team of heterogeneous robots for underground exploration
  • Performed sensor integration, design, and operations for both custom and COTS systems
  • Coded embedded low-level software, including interfacing with ROS
  • Developed a redundant, highly-reliable robot safety systems for remote operations
  • Formulated safety procedures and protocols for underground operations (including flight)
  • Acted as on-Lab and Remote Field Test Lead for teams of varying sizes and levels of experience

Researcher / Guest Lecturer / UAV GCS Operator

The University of Sydney - Aeronautics Department / ACFR

  • Designed Phase 1 submission for the Wasp AE replacement for the Australian Army
  • Supported several projects designing, building and operating UAVs for research
  • Unofficial ‘go-to guy’ for UAV Lab support (undergrad theses, PhD work, wind tunnel, etc.)
  • Guest lectured for Professional Engineering, UAV Operations and Workplace Health and Safety

Education

PhD (Aeronautics)

The University of Sydney and Université Libre de Bruxelles

Methodology for Aerodynamic Parameter Estimation of Tail-Sitting Multirotors

B.Eng (Aeronautics) Hons I

The University of Sydney

Awards
Best Paper Award
RA-L ∙ 2024
Awarded for groundbreaking work on efficient training of large models.
Best Paper Award (Unmanned Aerial Systems)
ICRA (2020) ∙ 2020
Awarded for groundbreaking work on efficient training of large models.
Earth Science & Technology Directorate Team Bonus Award
JPL ∙ 2019
Awarded for groundbreaking work on efficient training of large models.
Best Written Paper (Propulsion) and Best Overall Congress Paper
AIAC 2017 ∙ 2017
Awarded for groundbreaking work on efficient training of large models.