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Aaron R

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Expertise

Robotics, automation / autonomous systems, signal processing, computer vision, digital systems, computer architecture

Bio

I am a second year Ph.D student at MIT where I study multi-robot systems. I have a broad background engineering and computer science, ranging from mechanical design for a formula-style racecar, to software for coordinating autonomous boats and underwater vehicles, to sensor package development for marine deployment. Currently, I design algorithms for multi-robot systems to operate intelligently and robustly in challenging environments. I have greatly enjoyed mentoring students, both as a Teaching Assistant in Engineering and Computer Science courses and as a research advisor for undergraduate and masters students. In my free time, I like to hike and watch classic movies.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Lightbike AI

In this project, we will implement the Lightbike game from Tron and build an AI to play against. You will learn about graph search algorithms, the fundamental building blocks of generalized planning, and performance considerations for software.

Controlling a Cartpole

In this project, we will design a stabilizing controller that balances a rod standing on top of a moving cart. We will derive the equations of motion for the system using Lagrangian dynamics and investigate several classes of feedback controllers from PID to LQR.

Software Defined Radio Decoding

In this project, we will investigate signal processing and the frequency domain. We will use the signals transmitted by radio stations as a case study in several signal processing ideas used in a wide variety of fields.

Coding skills

Python, Matlab, C, C++

Teaching experience

I have worked as a Teaching Assistant in Engineering and Computer Science courses at Brown University. I have also mentored undergraduate and masters students at MIT.

Credentials

Work experience

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2019 - Current)
Research Assistant
MIT Driverless (2019 - Current)
Planning and Control Advisor
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (2019 - 2019)
Summer Engineering Intern
Kitty Hawk Corporation (2018 - 2018)
Summer Intern

Education

Brown University
BS Bachelor of Science (2019)
Computer Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MS Master of Science candidate
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Robotics)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Robotics)

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