Tyler Estrada - Portfolio

Projects

Warehouse Robotics Path Planning

Developed a robust path planning system for autonomous warehouse robots using the A* search algorithm. The system navigates complex grid-based environments, dynamically avoiding static and moving obstacles to optimize throughput.

Implemented in Python, the code features adjustable safety margins and heuristic tuning to balance path optimality with computational efficiency, simulating real-world warehouse logistics scenarios.

Formula Buckeyes EV Accumulator Cooling

Engineered the thermal management system for the team's electric vehicle accumulator. Conducted extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations in Ansys to model heat generation and airflow.

Selected and integrated high-performance fans and custom ducting, successfully maintaining battery temperatures below the thermal derate threshold under rigorous competition drive cycles.

EcoCAR CACC Algorithm Development

Spearheaded the development of a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) system using C++ and ROS2. Leveraged Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication to coordinate with infrastructure and other vehicles.

The algorithm, incorporating PID and Model Predictive Control (MPC), achieved a 35% improvement in energy efficiency and reduced inter-vehicle latency by 50%.

4-DOF Robotic Arm

Designed, fabricated, and programmed a custom 4-Degree-of-Freedom robotic arm. Developed a custom inverse kinematics engine in MATLAB to calculate joint angles for precise end-effector positioning.

Implemented a closed-loop control system utilizing PID, feedforward, and ROS2 to achieve sub-millimeter accuracy, validated through complex autonomous writing and manipulation tasks.

Resume and Timeline

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Ohio State Center for Automotive Research

Graduate Research Associate

Columbus, OH | October 2024 - Present

Led an 8-member cross-functional engineering team developing autonomous longitudinal and lateral control systems (CACC and LCC) across SIL, HIL, and vehicle testing environments.
Designed and deployed a CAN-based diagnostic and observability framework enabling real-time fault detection, reducing debugging time during HIL and vehicle testing by 30%.
Developed a C++ based CACC controller using V2X messaging for V2V/V2I coordination, reducing inter-vehicle latency by 50% in multi-vehicle scenarios.
Analyzed V2X latency, CAN traffic, and closed-loop control performance to identify CACC bottlenecks, achieving 35% improvement in energy efficiency.

Mars Petcare Research and Development

Process Engineering Intern

Nashville, TN | May-August 2024

Managed the development of a 3D digital twin of the pilot plant using LiDAR scanning technology, reducing planning time by over 50% by enabling remote site measurements.
Updated and optimized over 30 process flow diagrams through Visio and developed a standardized revision process that reduced future document update times by 40%.

DuPont

Reliability Engineering Co-op

Circleville, OH | May-December 2023

Identified diagnostics and reliability gaps in critical equipment, supporting proactive fault prevention and system reliability improvements for a cost savings of over $500,000.
Collaborated with operators to design a waste-handling system that enabled safe disposal of hazardous materials while reducing environmental non-compliance fees.

The Ohio State Center for Automotive Research

Research Fellow

Columbus, OH | February-May 2022

Participated in a research program covering hybrid-electric vehicles, human machine interactions, Arduino programming/prototyping, and industrial systems engineering.
Optimized ECMA for two federally mandated drive cycles.
Assisted Ohio State’s EcoCAR team with improving HMI within the hybrid-electric vehicle.

Ohio State Rock Climbing Club

Competitive Chair