ABOUT

Hey! I'm Ruben, and I hold a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University, and M.S. in Robotics and the University of Michigan, where I researched and developed a wheeled quadruped robot platform with novel degrees of freedom. Highly interested in autonomy work for land, air, and space transport systems! 

I formerly worked as a mechanical engineering intern for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, focused on hardware design for the Tactical Fighters Hardware department. I also held two separate research assistantships at the Harvard Biodesign Lab, one focused on designing and iterating mechanical structural components and running tensile stress tests for a wearable robotic device targeting stroke survivors with limited plantarflexion/dorsiflexion mobility, and another on creating a digital twin of an existing pneumatically-actuated shoulder-assisting robotic device. 

Under the guidance of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Harvard faculty, my team and I developed a revolutionary prototype flight system for in-situ climate analysis for my Harvard senior capstone project. Despite the challenges encountered during our first two integrated flight tests, HELIOS has demonstrated its potential to augment the way we analyze anthropogenic climate change. Additionally, I was able to apply much of what I had learned during undergrad through leading the design and testing of the structural and lifting subsystem for the platform, directing the subsystem design life-cycle from ideation to multiple flight tests, collaborating with overseas manufacturers, and ensuring compliance with 9 out of 12 design requirements under highly stringent budget constraints.

I have recently graduated a semester early from the University Michigan with an M.S. in Robotics, and am now seeking a full-time position in the field of mechanical design, mechatronics, controls, or autonomy! Let's connect!