BS ECE · Carnegie Mellon · May 2028

zhaojinchu@cmu.edu github.com/zhaojinchu linkedin.com/in/zhaojinc


Resume: Embedded & Robotics


Embedded & Robotics

Firmware, embedded systems, robotics software

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Software

Backend, systems, full-stack

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EDUCATION

Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA

Expected May 2028

Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering

  • GPA: 3.86/4.00, Dean's List
  • Coursework: 18-240 Digital Systems, 18-290 Signals & Systems, 15-122 Imperative Computation

SKILLS

Languages
C, Python
Embedded & Robotics
STM32, ESP32, ARM Cortex-M, SPI/DMA, KiCad, ROS, Qt, PyTorch, Linux

EXPERIENCE

CMU Microdynamic Systems Laboratory | Undergraduate Researcher

Jul 2026 – Present

  • Designed and built the STM32H7 based controller of the 6-DOF Magnetic Levitation Haptic Interface.
  • Replaced the $3,000 QNX desktop PC and its PCI DAQ cards with a custom $300 board, a 10x cost reduction.
  • Ported the firmware off a legacy QNX real-time machine and its PCI DAQ onto an STM32H7 (ARM Cortex-M).
  • Brought up an AD7606 ADC and LTC2688 DAC over SPI with DMA against a 15 µs sensor-to-actuator budget.
  • Designed a 7-channel DRV8262 PCB in KiCad to replace the linear amplifiers, with INA240 current sensing.
  • Built a PyQt GUI over the ballbot's ROS nodes and teleoperation from the haptic device with force feedback.

Logic Labs | Founder and Lead Developer

Jan 2024 – Feb 2026

  • Built a Node.js/React storefront with Stripe checkout for an electronics program serving 60+ students.
  • Designed the kits and curricula, and handed the codebase to a student team that still maintains it.

PROJECTS

RoboOrchestra | Project Lead, 60+ members

Nov 2025 – Present

  • Built a conductor mode mapping hand gestures on camera to drum hits by screen region.
  • Rewrote the instrument firmware on ESP32 Feathers and defined a platform-independent MIDI protocol.
  • Added w.FL antennas to the ESP32 link for longer range communication between instruments.

ReBin | TartanHacks Best Hardware, 1,000+ participants

Feb 2026

  • Trained a YOLOv8n waste classifier and deployed it on a Raspberry Pi 5, built end to end in 24 hours.
  • Built a FastAPI/React dashboard streaming HC-SR04 bin levels over WebSockets into heatmaps and forecasts.

License Plate Recognition Model | American University in Dubai

Jan 2025 – Dec 2025

  • Trained CNN plate detectors in PyTorch on 20,000+ Dubai plates to 0.96 mAP@0.5, 0.78 mAP@0.5:0.95.
  • Exported to ONNX and ran at ~5 ms per 640×640 frame on a Jetson; evaluated quantization for edge use.

LEADERSHIP

RoboClub | Executive Board Officer

Mar 2026 – Present

  • Oversee $4,000+ in annual funding across 20+ robotics and engineering project teams.

Computer Hardware Society | President

Sep 2023 – Jul 2025

PUBLICATIONS & AWARDS

Perception of Generative AI in the Gulf | Springer Nature

Oct 2025

  • Analyzed 500+ survey responses with SEM; presented at Cambridge and published by Springer Nature.

Netcraft Computer Science Prize | Global Top 100

Sep 2025