Learning

A log of academic coursework and self-directed online learning.

Academic

PhD

West Virginia University

2019 – 2024

Spring 2020

MATH 441
Applied Linear Algebra

Methods and applications of linear algebra across engineering and science: linear systems, matrix algebra, vector spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, orthogonality, LU-factorization, Gram-Schmidt process, and least squares.

MAE 561
Satellite Navigation

Principles of satellite-based navigation including GPS/GNSS signal processing, positioning algorithms, error sources, differential corrections, and applications in autonomous vehicles and robotics.

MAE 695
Independent Study — Robotic Manipulators

Audited MAE 413 (Robotic Manipulators). Topics included forward and inverse kinematics, workspace analysis, Jacobians, rigid-body dynamics, trajectory planning, and control of serial robot arms. Graduate level coursework developing code for NASA Space Robotics Challenge Phase 2.

Fall 2020

MAE 593A
SPTP: Robot Motion Planning

Special topics covering classical and sampling-based motion planning: configuration spaces, potential fields, RRT, PRM, and optimal planners including FMT* and RRT*.

MAE 660
Feedback Control for Mechanical Engineering

Design of control systems using classical, frequency-domain, and state-space methods: modeling, compensation, stabilization, pole placement, and state estimation, with extensive use of MATLAB.

Spring 2021

MAE 693B
SPTP: Reinforcement Learning for Robotics

Special topics on reinforcement learning for robotics: Markov decision processes, value iteration, policy iteration, Q-learning, deep reinforcement learning, and applications to robotic control.

Fall 2021

MATH 521
Numerical Analysis

Classical numerical analysis with emphasis on theory and computation: root finding, interpolation, numerical integration, ODE solvers, and iterative linear solvers.

Spring 2022

EE 517
Optimal Control

Optimization of feedback systems: calculus of variations, Pontryagin's maximum principle, Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, dynamic programming, LQR, and adaptive feedback.

Summer 2023

ENGR 588
Graduate Co-Op Experience

Summer industry internship at L5 Automation, applying graduate-level robotics and software engineering skills in a professional setting.

Fall 2023

MAE 795
Independent Study — Behavior Trees

Self-directed study of behavior trees for autonomous agent control, following Colledanchise & Ögren's "Behavior Trees in Robotics and AI" (CRC Press, 2018). Topics: BT semantics, modularity, reactivity, safety analysis, and integration with planning and learning.

MSc

EESC-USP

2015 – 2016

2nd Sem. 2015

SEM5921
Instrumentation and Measurement Systems Instrumentação e Sistemas de Medidas

Sensor technologies, signal conditioning, data acquisition systems, measurement uncertainty, and calibration methods for mechanical and fluid systems.

SEM5932
Topics in Computational Fluid Dynamics Tópicos de Mecânica dos Fluidos Computacional

Numerical methods for fluid flow simulation: finite difference and finite volume discretization, turbulence modeling, mesh generation, and practical use of CFD solvers.

SEM5892
Research Methodology and Literature Review Metodologia e Pesquisa Bibliográfica

Scientific writing, research design, and systematic literature review. Academic integrity, citation standards, and methodological frameworks for engineering research.

1st Sem. 2016

SEM5740
Mathematics for Engineers Matemática para Engenheiros

Advanced mathematical tools for engineering: ODEs and PDEs, Fourier and Laplace transforms, vector calculus, complex analysis, and applied numerical methods.

SEM5749
Fluid Mechanics Mecânica dos Fluidos

Fundamentals of fluid mechanics: continuity, momentum and energy equations, laminar and turbulent flows, boundary layers, drag and lift, and introduction to compressible flows.

SEM5919
Special Topics in Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics Tópicos Especiais em Aerodinâmica e Aeroacústica

Advanced aerodynamics including subsonic and transonic flow theory and vortex dynamics, plus aeroacoustic fundamentals: noise sources, Lighthill's analogy, and computational aeroacoustics.

Online Programs

Nanodegree Udacity

Flying Car and Autonomous Flight Engineer

Udacity

End-to-end autonomous flight engineering: from quadrotor physics and 3D motion planning to nonlinear control and state estimation for real aerial vehicles.

  1. Introduction to Autonomous Flight Quadrotor rigid-body dynamics, hover and attitude control, and minimum-snap trajectory generation through waypoints.
  2. Planning 3D motion planning for UAVs: A*, probabilistic roadmaps, RRT, and receding-horizon planning in cluttered environments.
  3. Controls Cascaded PID and nonlinear geometric controllers for precise 3D trajectory tracking.
  4. Estimation Sensor fusion for state estimation: extended and unscented Kalman filters for GPS/IMU integration.
  5. Fixed-Wing Flight Longitudinal and lateral flight dynamics, aerodynamic modeling, and autopilot design for fixed-wing aircraft.
Specialization Coursera

Robotics Specialization

University of Pennsylvania

A six-course program covering all major subsystems of a robotic platform, combining rigorous theory with MATLAB-based programming projects.

  1. Aerial Robotics UAV dynamics, PD trajectory-tracking controllers, and minimum-jerk path generation for quadrotors.
  2. Computational Motion Planning Graph-search planners (A*, Dijkstra), potential-field methods, and configuration-space planning for articulated robots.
  3. Mobility Legged and wheeled locomotion: gait analysis, terrain navigation, and bio-inspired mobility strategies.
  4. Perception Computer vision for robotics: homography, feature detection (SIFT), camera calibration, and visual tracking.
  5. Estimation and Learning Kalman filtering and particle filters applied to probabilistic robot localization against a known map.
  6. Capstone Hardware project: built a differential-drive robot running ROS that autonomously navigated a course using AprilTag visual landmarks.
Specialization Coursera

Deep Learning Specialization

DeepLearning.AI

A five-course program by Andrew Ng covering the theory and practice of modern deep learning, from foundational networks to CNNs, RNNs, and transformers.

  1. Neural Networks and Deep Learning Foundations: logistic regression, shallow and deep networks, forward/backpropagation, and vectorized implementations in Python.
  2. Improving Deep Neural Networks Hyperparameter tuning, regularization (dropout, L2), batch normalization, and optimization algorithms (Adam, RMSProp).
  3. Structuring Machine Learning Projects ML strategy: bias-variance analysis, error analysis, transfer learning, and multi-task learning.
  4. Convolutional Neural Networks CNN architectures (ResNet, Inception), object detection (YOLO), face recognition, and neural style transfer.
  5. Sequence Models RNNs, LSTMs, GRUs, and transformer architectures for NLP: language modeling, machine translation, and NER with HuggingFace.