Saurya Koka

M.S. Human-Robot Interaction candidate with expertise in swarm robotics, embodied interaction design, and real-time embedded medical devices. Led development and evaluation of a 9-robot swarm system and a pressure-feedback G-tube training device showcased at NECHFES 2025. Proficient in ROS2 and TensorFlow. Open to roles in HRI, medical robotics, or perception engineering starting June 2026.

Embodied Swarm HRI with 5 Sphero Bolts, Co-Lead (Interaction Design), Tufts University, Fall 2024, 

• Designed motion + LED communication modes ('Follow Me', 'Do Not Enter', 'We Are Lost') using Hierarchical State Machine (HSM)
• Built full distributed system with MCL localization, SwarmPRM planning, MQTT/RabbitMQ backbone, OpenCV overhead tracking.
• Led N=20+ human-subjects study — paired t-tests showed Formation mode significantly increased trust and comprehension speed

Pressure-Feedback G-Tube FeedingTraining Device, Hardware & Embedded Lead, Tufts Human Factors (Prof. Chaiwoo Lee), Spring 2025

• Designed & built smart syringe (ESP32 + force sensor + RGB/OLED) that gives instant visual feedback on dangerous over-pressure.
• ESP32 was used to simultaneously notify medical practitioner with visual, haptic (Vibration) feedback on the LED along with real time force value exerted.
• 3D-printed + laser-cut full training kit with simulated MIC-KEY button simulation.
• Eliminated pressure-related errors and significantly raised caregiver confidence in clinical usability trials.
• Presented Prototype of “Beyond the Manual” at NECHFES 2025 (150+ clinicians and researchers).

G-EYE- A Handheld Retinal Imaging device, Research Assistant, G. Narayanamma Institute, 10/23 – 08/23

• Designed & 3D-printed ergonomic 6-DoF fundus camera equipped with 20D Volk lens.
• Real-time PyTorch CNN on NVIDIA Jetson for glaucoma/cataract detection (mAP > 0.92).

• PrototyePresenter, Beyond the Manual G-Tube Training Device, 05/25, Presented pressure-feedback medical device to 150+ clinicians, researchers, and industry professionals at NECHFES conference.
• Demo Lead, Tufts Engineering Design Showcase, Spring 2025, Demonstrated G-tube device to clinical partners, faculty, and investors.
• Organizing Head, Rigolade National Techno-Cultural Fest, 2021 – 2022, Led 30-member team and secured sponsorships from Bosch, MathWorks, and Texas Instruments.

Hierarchical State Machines, embodied communication, user studies (t-tests, chi-square), Monte Carlo Localization, SwarmPRM, MQTT/RabbitMQ microservices, overhead vision tracking, ESP32 firmware (C++), force/pressure sensors, real-time LED/OLED feedback, 3D printing + laser cutting, ROS2/ROS, Gazebo, MoveIt, Navigation2, URDF, PyTorch, OpenCV, Hugging Face, Whisper ASR, Python (expert), C/C++, Node.js, Docker, Git, Blender, LaTeX