October 5, 2024
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Aakash Dammala
Robotics Engineer | Path Planning & Control
About
I'm a Robotics Engineer with over 3.5 years of experience in Autonomous systems development. Currently pursuing my Master's in Robotics at the University of Maryland, College Park.
My expertise spans multi-agent fleet management, path planning, navigation, simulation, hardware interfacing and control. I've worked extensively on Level 4 Autonomous delivery robots at Ottonomy.
As an early engineer at a high growth startup, I got to contribute to many things, from controlling a BLDC motor to managing international robot deployments, scaleing from prototypes to deployments across 10+ countries.
Education
Master of Engineering - Robotics
Relevant Coursework: Software Development for Robotics, Introduction to Robot Modeling, Control of Robotic Systems
Bachelor of Technology - Mechanical Engineering
Relevant Coursework: Manufacturing Processes, Kinematics and Dynamics, Machine Design, Operations Research, CAD & CAM, Automation, Programming in C++ and Python
Experience
Ottonomy IO - Level 4 Autonomous Delivery Robots [🔗Video]
Drive Control & Kinematics
- Architected the core Drive Control System for the Ottobot v2.0 swerve-drive platform using C++ and ROS; designed a modular kinematic engine that supported rapid prototyping of Skid-Steer, differential drive and Ackerman mechanisms
- Developed real-time motion control firmware, implementing forward/inverse kinematics and multi-axis synchronization for BLDC and Servo controllers, ensuring precise trajectory execution
Multi-Robot Fleet Management & Optimization
- Engineered a multi-robot task allocation system utilizing Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) and Large Neighborhood Search (LNS) to optimize delivery sequences, significantly reducing fleet idle time and delivery latency
- Developed a discretized topology graph generator using a circle-filling algorithm to convert navigable areas into interconnected nodes, pathfinding for large-scale multi-robot coordination
- Built C++/REST API interface, establishing a robust communication layer between the central fleet server and distributed robot agents
Navigation & Autonomy
- Implemented a visual-servoing Auto-Docking system for sidewalk delivery robots, using Aruco markers and nonlinear PID controller, achieving 2.5cm / 3.0° pose accuracy with a >99% success rate across 300+ trials
- Optimized the local planner for high-speed navigation, refactoring the codebase for multi-threading to boost control loop frequency to >25Hz, enabling stable tracking at higher velocities
- Deployed a decentralized collision avoidance system using shared reservation tables to prevent deadlocks in narrow corridors without a central coordinator
International Deployments
- Saudi Aramco HQ (KSA): Solely responsible for managing the full lifecycle, from installation to operational handover of delivery robots. The successful pilot secured a strategic partnership and future contracts with Aramex in the Middle East (May - Sep 2023)
- NEOM city, Oxagon Project (KSA): Managed fleet operations for a multi-robot deployment, conducting high-stakes technical demonstrations for stakeholders and led client acceptance testing for new features (Oct 2023 - Jan 2024)
Munjal Showa - Suspension Manufacturing Plant
Learned and applied various Lean manufacturing techniques on suspension manufacturing lines to reduce quality errors. The final project addressed a recurring production line issue through the implementation of the Poka Yoke technique.
DRDL - Defense Research and Development Laboratory
Hands-on learning with advanced precision manufacturing machines and tools, including Wire EDM, 5-axis CNC, CNC Lathe, VMC and CMM. The final project involved designing an aerospace component in Siemens NX, writing G & M codes manually as well as generating using CAM software, and machining the component using CNC turning.
Blog
View all →Publications
Fast Rescheduling for Multi-Agent Plan Execution in Dynamic Urban Environments: A Machine Scheduling Perspective
- Formulated the multi-robot rescheduling problem as a Blocking Job Shop scheduling problem, to address dynamic constraints in complex urban environments
- Developed an Anytime Local Search algorithm capable of real-time rescheduling, greatly reducing computational overhead compared to exact methods, while minimizing global delay and providing high quality solutions for large scale deployments
Patents
Tether Tension Monitoring System
A 2-part safety device for tethered Aerostats, that monitors the tension in the tether, and wireless notifies ground the station in case of any anomaly. It also has a mechanism to safely deflate and release hydrogen gas present in Aerostat to avoid any accidents.
Developed at IIT Bombay's LTA Lab, under guidance of Prof. RS. Pant
Portable Device for Measuring Wood Hardness
A portable device to perform the Janka hardness test (hardness of wood) without the requirement of cutting down for collecting samples
→ View PatentAutomatic Electric Iron Power Switching Device
A retrofit device that automatically powers off electric irons when idle, reducing energy consumption and preventing fabric or ironing board burns
→ View PatentSkills
Programming Languages
C++ (14/17) Python Embedded C CUDA MATLAB
Robotics Middleware & Libraries
ROS/ROS 2 Nav stack MoveIt BehaviorTree.CPP OpenCV PCL
Simulators
Carla Sim Gazebo Webots Isaac Sim
Embedded & Hardware
NVIDIA Jetson STM32 Sensors (Lidar, GPS, RGB & Depth Cameras) Actuators & Controllers
Software Engineering
Google Test (GTest) GMock TDD CI/CD (GitHub Actions) Docker Git
Awards & Honors
Circle of Excellence Honor
For exceptional contributions that endure beyond tenure. Award given to me, 9 months after leaving Ottonomy, recognizing lasting impact on the company.
Key Contributor
As the Vice President of University Robotics Club, I represented university in many national robotics competitions and hackathons, organised robotics events at the annual university fests and actively contributed to the club's success This award was given to me by Dean Student welfare, Col. Mohit Bawa, recognizing my contributions
Outside Work
Beyond work, I'm passionate about adventure and endurance activities. I enjoy cycling, running, trekking, skiing, swimming, paragliding, river rafting, and other such activities.
I am currently training to participate in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon.