Prashant Rao
Austin,TX
Summary
Dedicated Robotics Electrical and Embedded systems Engineer with 10+ years of experience in design, prototyping and leading robotics projects from design to implementation. Developed a first of a kind nurse's assistant robot, Moxi, from the ground up. Overlooked the Electrical design iterations, manufacturing and QA of over 100 Moxis currently deployed in 30+ hospitals across the country. The robot has been featured in multiple publications and media outlets including BBC, Time Magazine and National Geographic. An expert in dexterous robotic manipulation with multiple publications and awards.
Proactive and goal-oriented professional with excellent time management and problem-solving skills. Known for reliability and adaptability, with swift capacity to learn and apply new skills. Committed to leveraging these qualities to drive team success and contribute to organizational growth.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Scientist: Lead of Robot Design
Diligent Robotics, Inc
11.2018 - 06.2024
- Designed and manufactured the entire electrical and embedded system for the company's core product Moxi Robot from the ground up.
- Designed all the embedded systems around ARM cortex and NXP microcontrollers and implemented Zephyr RTOS for robust distributed low-level systems in Moxi.
- Programmed all embedded firmware, mid-level drivers, communication protocols and system-level drivers in C/C++, python and ROS for the robot.
- Designed the battery monitoring system, and performed battery chemistry based analysis of robot duty cycle for maximum robot throughput through iterative electrical design.
- Designed Moxi's updated secure storage system including secure badge access, modular storage and load sensing.
- Iterated the electrical design of the robot through 4 generations using market stock analysis of key components to make the manufacturing resistant to supply-chain issues.
- Worked closely with a multi-disciplinary team of software, firmware, manufacturing, QA and mechanical engineers as well as assembly technicians for component selection, design, optimal manufacturing and troubleshooting of the finished product.
Graduate Research Assistant
Socially Intelligent Machines Lab
01.2017 - 08.2018
- Designed the electrical systems and firmware of a socially intelligent autonomous nurse's assistant robot Poli.
- Selected all components, actuators and sensors and designed acceptance test protocols for the entire electrical system of the robot.
- Programmed low-level firmware device drivers for various low-level embedded systems within the robot using C/C++.
- Designed interfaces between various communication protocols using C/C++ (RS232, RS485/USB, Modbus-TCP, Modbus USB, Ethernet, Ethercat).
- Designed custom multi-layer PCBs for embedded interfaces within the robot.
- Wrote mid-level Python ROS interfaces to communicate with various systems within the robot.
Graduate Research Assistant
ReNeu Robotics Lab
08.2011 - 08.2011
- Designed the mechanical and electrical systems of a novel passively-compliant, tendon-driven two fingered in-hand manipulation testbed from the ground up.
- Designed a novel miniature non-linear parallel compliance mechanism for human-like finger joint stiffness and proved improved manipulation capabilities.
- Designed custom multi-layered PCBs for miniature sensor integration for joint angle and tendon force sensing.
- Developed advanced manipulation controllers in C/C++, Python and Labview (FPGA and RT) for low-jitter real-time performance utilizing high-speed communication protocols such as CANbus and EtherCAT
- Programmed low and mid-level drivers in C/C++ for high speed data collection from motion capture systems for analysis.
- Published various conference papers and was awarded Best Paper in Robotic Manipulation in The International Conference for Robotics and Automation
Education
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX08.2018
Master of Science - Electrical Engineering
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX12.2008
Skills
- Problem Solving
- Fast Learner
- Self-Motivated
- Attention to Detail
- Creative
- Strategic Planning
- Multi-disciplinary Teamwork
Awards
- Best Paper Award in Robotic Manipulation at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2017.
Technical Skills
- Programming - C/C++, Python, ROS
- Microcontroller Architectures - Arduino, 8-bit RISC , ARM Cortex-M (STM32, NXP iMX)
- Communication Protocols - RS-485/USB, Ethernet, CANOpen, Modbus-RTU and TCP
- PCB Design - Eagle PCB
- Realtime Frameworks - Zephyr RTOS, Baremetal RTOS
Timeline
Research Scientist: Lead of Robot Design
Diligent Robotics, Inc
11.2018 - 06.2024
Graduate Research Assistant
Socially Intelligent Machines Lab
01.2017 - 08.2018
Graduate Research Assistant
ReNeu Robotics Lab
08.2011 - 08.2011
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Texas At Austin
Master of Science - Electrical Engineering
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
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