I take the vision which comes from dreams and apply the magic of science and

mathematics, adding the heritage of my interests and my knowledge of nature’s

materials to create a design. This profound saying has always found home with me.
The ability to make a difference especially in the field of robotics creates a driving
force within me.
To fuel my passion, I chose mechatronics engineering for my undergraduate
degree because, of all the branches that I had curated, mechatronics engineering
was the one, I thought, that would further my horizons. And I was not wrong in
this assumption. Mechatronics engineering has broadened my perspective with
respect to robotics more than any engineering degree could have. It is here that I
developed the design thinking and mathematical analysis that I pride myself on. It
is here that I learned to think along an algorithm so that my designs could be
materialized.

My first foray into the realms of robotics was when I worked with a collegiate
team, SRM Team Humanoid, one of the only two teams in the country researching
on humanoid robotics, in my first year. The concept of humanoid robotics latched
on to my imagination almost instantly. To design a robot that moves, walks and
sometimes talks as humans do was extremely fascinating to me. I felt a need to
work in this field This team provided me an opportunity to get hands on experience
in the up and coming field of humanoid robotics.

The first major project I undertook as a mechanical engineer in SRM Team

Humanoid was to design and fabricate a bipedal robot using Dynamixel AX-18
servo motors. I did the required torque calculations and designed the model in
SolidWorks. For fabricating the linkages, I chose Wire Cutting EDM over more
traditional Laser Cutting so as to achieve closer tolerances. Since the motor
dimensions are fixed, it was imperative to have the holes aligned to the respective
holes in the motor. That is, the clamps and the links needed to be as close to the
true shape as possible. The cut parts were then bent using CNC bending. Finally,
the parts were assembled and the finished biped took form.
Currently, I am working on three research projects involving the said biped. They
are: i) To generate its walking algorithm, ii) To replace the knee with a compliant
link and see the benefits to walking, iii) To create an algorithm that enables dynamic
walking with the help of force sensing resistors.

In my fourth semester, the team took part in Robogames ’18. I worked with the team
to get the designs ready in time and get them fabricated. To get the robots ready in
time for the competition, it was necessary to work night and day, relentlessly. The
events included biped race, sumo, dash and free style among others. Generating the
algorithms and working closely with the coding team was needed. After the
implementation, the robots were presented in California and bagged prizes. This was
a very satisfying culmination to the months of hard work.

Currently, I’m undergoing an internship program at DeTect Technologies, a startup

based out of IIT Madras developing drones and sensors for industrial safety.
Currently, I am working on a commercial project involving designing and
automation of drones that pertain to an identified problem statement, my
interventions have enabled in providing a design capable of rendering the required
solution to the identified problem statement. My major roles were analyzing the
given model and optimizing them to the best of their usage.

Apart from this I possess certain accolades too. A certification in the software
SolidWorks at the associate level, two paper presentation at National Level
Conferences and am in line to lead the mechanical domain at SRM Team Humanoid
soon.

All my undergraduate work has been focused on highly research-oriented areas. I

won’t go so far to say that this work will never benefit the general public at all. But
the time span required for implementation of niche engineering areas such as
humanoid robotics into the day to day life of an average family is too long.
An internship at Carnegie Mellon University will not only help me propel my dream
of realizing a stronger human and robot interaction, but also give me stunning
platform to portray my skills at a global level. With an untiring multitude of world
class brands that directly affect the lives multifarious people.