Photo of Avi Punjabi

Controls & Mechatronics Engineer

I build the control loops and sensor stacks that let hardware move on purpose.

I'm an MEng student at UC Berkeley concentrating in Controls of Robotic and Autonomous Systems. My work spans inverse kinematics on the ISS's Canadarm2, real-time sensor fusion for suspension testing, and FEA-validated actuation hardware — I like teams that iterate quickly between design, simulation, and physical test.

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MEng student, UC Berkeley — Controls of Robotic & Autonomous Systems
Fig. — 2-link inverse kinematics θ1 0.0° · θ2 0.0°
ẋ 0.0 · ẏ 0.0 (units/s) — via Jacobian
move your cursor — the arm solves for it in real time · near full stretch it's close to a singularity, where small end-effector moves demand large joint speeds

Summary

I'm an MEng student at UC Berkeley concentrating in Controls of Robotic and Autonomous Systems, and I spent three years before that doing hands-on hardware work at Texas A&M across kinematics, sensor fusion, and mechanical design. I'm comfortable across the full stack of a hardware project — writing the control algorithm, building the test rig that validates it, and running the FEA that proves the part won't fail. I'm most drawn to small, fast-moving teams doing tight design-simulation-test loops, rather than pure CAD work or slower-moving organizations — early-stage robotics startups in particular.

Featured Projects

PROJ · CANADARM2-IK

Forward & Inverse Kinematics for Canadarm2

Robot Dynamics Subteam Lead — SpaceCraft VR Lab, Texas A&M University

08/2025 – 05/2026
  • I developed forward and velocity-level inverse kinematics for a simulated Canadarm2, the ISS's robotic arm, using Jacobian-based control for closed-loop end-effector motion.
  • I integrated the control algorithms into the Space Teams PRO simulation platform and validated performance against mission scenarios.
  • I compiled my findings into a poster and presented it to faculty and industry judges at the AggiE_Challenge Research Expo.
PythonMATLABJacobian IKRobot Kinematics
PROJ · SUSPENSION-DAQ

Multi-Sensor DAQ for a Single-Wheel Suspension Tester

Data Acquisition & Processing Lead — Capstone Project, Texas A&M University

08/2025 – 05/2026
  • I engineered a multi-sensor DAQ system fusing IMUs, load cells, and strain gauges into a real-time dashboard for continuous state estimation of suspension performance.
  • I built and validated a single-wheel tester capable of controlled dynamic and static loading to characterize wheel response under representative driving conditions.
  • I wrote the SOPs and safety protocols that governed rig operation, and managed the project budget and vendor sourcing.
Sensor FusionIMU / Load Cell / Strain GaugeReal-Time DashboardsTest Rig Design
PROJ · AGGIE-ROBOTICS-VEXU

VEXU Competition Robots & Flywheel Turret

Team Lead · Treasurer · Underclassman Representative — Aggie Robotics, Texas A&M University

08/2022 – 06/2025
  • I directed the team through two international VEXU Robotics competitions, coordinating testing, logistics, and budgeting to keep our robots competition-ready.
  • I modeled and simulated 40+ dynamic and static robot components in CAD/FEA to verify structural integrity before fabrication.
  • I directed development of a two-axis motorized flywheel turret assembly, applying a hybrid Gantt/Agile framework to keep design and build milestones on schedule.
  • I restructured our testing process to run concurrently with hardware and software development, shortening the overall iteration cycle.
CAD / FEARobot DesignTeam LeadershipAgile / Gantt Planning
Photos from this internship aren't shown here — Acutronic's work is proprietary and I'm not able to display it publicly.
PROJ · ACUTRONIC-FEA

Actuation Hardware Modeling & Validation

Mechanical Design Intern — Acutronic Actuation Inc., Austin, TX

05/2025 – 08/2025
  • I modeled 20+ mechanism and actuation components across motors, actuators, gearboxes, and test stands, standardizing interfaces to cut integration rework.
  • I ran FEA, thermal, and CFD simulations on 50+ components and assemblies in ANSYS to validate structural and thermal performance before fabrication.
  • I automated testing and data-analysis workflows in Python, cutting turnaround time and improving reproducibility across the design team.
ANSYS FEA / CFD / ThermalSolidWorksPython Automation

Additional Experience

05/2023 – 05/2026
Suspension, Steering, Wheels & Brakes Subteam Member
Texas A&M Solar Car Racing
I spent three years engineering braking and wheel-assembly components from CAD through simulation and physical testing, and defended my designs in formal reviews before faculty and industry judges.
08/2024 – 04/2025
Student Research Assistant
INVENT Lab, Texas A&M University
I ran tribology experiments on electro-adhesion, humidity, and temperature effects on friction and wear, and migrated the lab's analysis codebase into a unified MATLAB/Python pipeline.
02/2024 – 02/2025
Deloitte Leadership Allyship & Mentorship Program
Texas A&M Cohort
I participated in a mentorship program emphasizing networking, professional development, and case study experience.
05/2023 – 07/2024
Student Research Assistant
Olivia Health — Texas A&M School of Nursing, Bryan, TX
I optimized and refined a natural language processing AI model for maternal healthcare applications, developed a full-stack website with AI integration for the research program, and conducted quantitative research with 500+ participants comparing rounds of UAT testing.
08/2020 – 05/2021
Researcher, First Author
Honors Mentor Connection, Plymouth, MN
I published astrophysics research through the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, analyzing infrared spectroscopy data from the Spitzer Space Telescope with Python (Jupyter Notebook).

Skills

Controls & Autonomy
Control system design, robot kinematics & dynamics, Jacobian-based velocity control, Kalman filtering & sensor fusion, reinforcement learning
Simulation & Perception
MuJoCo, OpenCV, Docker, sim-based validation
Software
C++, Python, ROS2, MATLAB, Git & Linux
Embedded & Electronics
ESP32 & STM32 programming, CAN Bus, I2C, SPI, UART/Serial, circuit design & signal conditioning
Hardware & Test
DAQ systems, real-time data acquisition, testing & validation design
Design & Analysis
SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Siemens NX, ANSYS FEA/CFD/thermal, GD&T, FMEA
Fabrication
CNC, water jet, plasma cutting, sheet metal (SendCutSend), angle grinding
Process
Design reviews, SOPs & safety protocols, vendor sourcing, budget management

Education

University of California, Berkeley
M.Eng. Mechanical Engineering — Concentration in Controls of Robotic and Autonomous Systems
08/2026 – 05/2027
Texas A&M University
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Computer Science
08/2022 – 05/2026
Certifications
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) — Mechanical Passed

Resume

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