Work Experience

Date: October 2023 – Present
Company: Amazon
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Position: Senior Applied Scientist - Robotics/AI
Responsibility:

  • Providing technology road-maps for Amazon’s robotic manipulation efforts.

Date: August 2021 – October 2023
Company: Amazon
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Position: Applied Scientist - Robotics/AI
Responsibility:

  • Conducting research on controls and robotic manipulation.

Date: June 2019 – August 2021
Company: Epson
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Position: Research Scientist - Robotics/AI
Responsibility:

  • Conducted research on Deep Reinforcement Learning for Robotic Grasping using alternative sensing.
  • Led research on Robotic Controls and Optimizations (Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization).
  • Submitted technology road-maps and patents for Epson’s future initiatives for intelligent robotic systems.
  • Performed self-sufficiently in developing research ideas and implementing them. This allowed me to conduct research and implementations seamlessly and accurately with minimal external development (e.g. code conversion from MATLAB/Python to C++) which saved us time and any potential inconsistency between idea and implementation.
  • Implemented systematic unit-test framework to test and increase the reliability of the software.
  • Provided unbiased and scientific opinion in discussions and meetings to address the stakeholders’ concerns.
  • Collaborated effectively with other researchers and developers to get the project done.
  • Collaborated effectively within Epson global software teams internationally in different time zones.

Date: January 2018 – May 2019
Company: Dematic
Location: Waterloo, ON, Canada
Position: Controls Software Engineer
Responsibility:

  • Contributed to the Software Architecture Design of the Dematic flagship product for warehouse automation, Dematic Multi-Shuttle (DMS).
  • Implemented a high-speed logging/tracing system (2,000,000 Msg/Sec) for High Availability Systems using C#, ETW, Kafka, and SQL.
  • Implemented a Real-Time Test Automation Tool for Siemens PLCs using C#, NUnit, and OPC UA.
  • Programmed complex Robotics/Automation systems using Off-line Programming (OLP) in Demo 3D.
  • Collaborated effectively within Dematic Global Software teams internationally in different time zones.
  • Developed software within the Agile/Scrum framework.

Date: August 2015 – September 2015
Company: KONNEXIO Inc.
Location: London, ON, Canada
Position: Software Engineer - Intern
Responsibility: Automation controls development, HMI programming, C# development, Hardware and Software troubleshooting and debug.

Date: October 2014 – December 2015
Company: eVinci Technologies Inc.
Location: London, ON, Canada
Position: Software Engineer
Responsibility: - Embedded software development. Circuit design and embedded system development for data acquisition devices. Server interface development for big data management. 3D CAD design and stress analysis.

Date: June 2014 – September 2014
Company: Whitecrest Mushrooms Limited
Location: London, ON, Canada
Position: Software Engineer - Intern
Responsibility: KUKA Light Weight Robot IV (7-DOF Robot) Fast Research Interface (FRI) development, GUI interface development for KUKA FRI interface, trajectory generator development using Type II Reflexxes Motion Library.

Date: 2011 – 2012
Company: Niroo Research Institute (NRI)
Location: Tehran, Iran
Position: Research Engineer (Contractor)
Responsibility: Modeling, identification, and validation of Iran’s major power plants’ parameters.

Date: 2011 – 2012
Company: Behkar Anjam
Location: Tehran, Iran
Position: Industrial Engineer (Contractor)
Responsibility: Industrial automation design and maintenance, home automation design and maintenance.

Date: August 2009 – December 2013
Company: Zistab Taraz Consulting Engineers
Location: Tehran, Iran
Position: Electrical and Electronics Engineer
Responsibility: Conducting research on instrumentation and control systems, installation of Geoelectrics devices, supervising technicians, and investigating electrical failures.

  • Conducted seismic data acquisition using Geoelectrical instrument measure IP (Induct Polarization) and RS (Resistivity).
  • Supervised and inspected the installation, modification, testing and operation of Geoelectrics devices.
  • Supervised technicians and other engineers of the projects in the electrical division.
  • Designed electrical circuit board for battery charging.
  • Developed maintenance and operating standards for electrical Geoelectrics Measurement Instruments.
  • Investigated electrical or electronic failures such as wiring and protection systems failures.

Education

PhD
Date: January 2014 – December 2017
Program: Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering
GPA: 4.0/4.0
University: The University of Western Ontario
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Supervisor: Dr. M.R. Kermani
Thesis Title: Robotic Manipulation of Environmentally Constrained Objects Using Underactuated Hands

  • Established a track record of research excellence on Robotics with publications in top conferences and journals such as TMECH, and IROS.
  • Invented an underactuated mechanism for accurate Proprioceptive Tactile Sensing.
  • Designed an algorithm for Robotic Grasp Planning, fabricated for Agricultural Robotics, using a rapid method for friction estimation.
  • Implemented computer vision for Robotic Grasp Planning using point cloud obtained by Stereo Camera, and MATLAB.
  • Achieved Real-Time control of KUKA Light-Weight Robot IV (7-DOF Robot) by developing a Multi-Threaded C++ interface with trajectory generation using Type II Reflexxes Motion Library.
  • Performed Unix shell scripting for The Robot Operating System (ROS) to control KUKA LWR IV.
  • Successfully designed and developed electrical circuitries using Protel (e.g., current drivers, etc.), embedded sensors (e.g., six-axis force/torque sensor, load cell, encoder, etc.), and selected all the required parts (motors, linear rails, belts, pulleys, cables, etc.) for an Autonomous Robotic Harvester which has reached the commercialization stage.
  • Developed motor drivers for fast prototyping robotic grippers using NI DAQ, dSPACE.
  • Designed self-adaptive parallel structures for an Underactuated Robotic Finger using Solidworks, 3D Printed and assembled the prototypes.
  • Led an Autonomous Robotic Harvester project to the commercialization stage.
  • Assisted in teaching Real-time embedded system development in C (uC/OS-II RTOS).
  • Assisted in teaching Control systems.

MSc
Date: September 2010 – October 2012
Program: M.Sc in Electrical Engineering majored in Control Systems
GPA: 3.63/4.0
University: Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic)
Location: Tehran, Iran
Supervisors: Prof. H.A. Talebi and Dr. F. Abdollahi
Thesis title: Implementation and Control Design for Grasping Convex Objects Using Cooperative Whole Arm Manipulator.

BSc
Date: September 2005 – July 2009
Program: B.Sc in Electrical Engineering majored in Control Systems
University: Shiraz University (Pahlavi University)
Location: Shiraz, Iran
Supervisor: Dr. M. Yazdi
Project: Speech Compression using Wavelet Techniques.

Certifications

(2021) Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
(2019) Deep Learning Specialization by deeplearning.ai
(2019) Udacity Deep Reinforcement Learning Nanodegree
(2019) Machine Learning by Stanford University
(2014) General Laboratory Safety and Hazardous Waste Management Training
(2014) Essentials of Productive Teams, Mitacs Inc. Inspiring Innovation.
(2013) ABB MicroSCADA, CAP 540, CAP 505, PCM 600 Softwares, LON protocol.
(2012) 4th Winter School On Computational Geometry with focus on Robotics
(2007) Programmable Logic Control (PLC)
(2006) Network +

Honors and Awards

(2014) The University of Western Ontario Dean’s Graduate Fellowship
(2015) Software Engineering Internship ($5K)
(2014) Connect Canada Internship ($10K)
(2014) Western Graduate Research Scholarship ($12K/y)
(2011) Iran National Science Foundation academic grant for Master thesis project ($25K)

Major Courses

Random Signals, Adaptive, and Kalman Filtering (90 out of 100)
Introduction to Digital Image Processing (91 out of 100)
Robotic Control (95 out of 100)
Multivariable Control (17 out of 20)
Optimal Control Systems (17.3 out of 20)
Seminar on Impedance Control (17.5 out of 20)
Mobile Computing and Wireless Networks (18.2 out of 20)
Neural Networks (18 out of 20)

Technical Tools

Off-line Programming: Demo3D, Bullet, CoppeliaSim, Adams
ML Libraries: PyTorch, TensorFlow, LightGBM, XGBoost
Computer Programming: Python, C, C++, C#, MATLAB, Maple, PHP, Visual Basic, UNIX shell scripting
CAD Design: Protel, Eagle, Solidworks
Embedded and Real-time Systems: Epson 6-Axis and SCARA Robots, KUKA LWR IV, SIEMENS PLCs and Relays, ABB DCS system, uC/OS-II RTOS, Atmel ATmega MCUs, Microchip PIC MCUs, Rabbit MCUs, IEC 61131-3
Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows family, Linux, BSD and other UNIX variants, Apple OS X
Instrumentation and Data Acquisition: Geoelectrical instrument measure IP and RS, National Instrument DAQ, dSpace, Simulink, LabVIEW, Proteus
Productivity Applications: LaTeX, GNU Emacs, Vim, Microsoft Office, and most common productivity packages (for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms)
Information and Internet Technology: Networking, Services (Apache, SQL)
MATLAB Tool Set: Simulink Desktop Real-Time, Linear algebra, control system, robust control, neural networks, genetic algorithm, system identification, signal processing, Wavelet transforms

Membership

(2010–Present) Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Member #90784597.
(2021–Present) Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO).
(2014–2018) Physical Human-Robot Interactions Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, Responsible for KUKA/DLR Light Weight Robot (7-DOF Robot).
(2011–2013) Real Time and Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, Member.
(2012–2013) IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, Member.

Community Involvement

Reviewer: Publons

  • IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
  • IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
  • Robotica
  • IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, AIM
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering
  • Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: Journal of Systems and Control Engineering

Other:

  • PSAC Local 610 Steward
  • Judge at the Thames Valley Science & Engineering Fair

Peer-Reviewed Papers (Google Scholar)

Please send me an email to mahyar.etedal@icloud.com if you need the PDF for any of the publications.

  1. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Mehrdad R. Kermani, “An Integration Platform for Multiple Modules and Kuka Robots,” CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, (Access).
  2. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Mehrdad R. Kermani, “Grasp and Stress Analysis of an Underactuated Finger for Proprioceptive Tactile Sensing,” IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, (Access).
  3. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Hamed Rezaee, Heidar A. Talebi, Farzaneh Abdollahi, “Optimal Adaptive Jacobian Internal Forces Controller for Multiple Whole-Limb Manipulators in the Presence of Kinematic Uncertainties,” Mechatronics, (Access).
  4. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Mehrdad R. Kermani, “Grasp Synthesis for Purposeful Fracturing of Object,” Robotics and Autonomous Systems. (Access)
  5. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Mehrdad R. Kermani, “Development and Grasp Analysis of a Sensorized Underactuated Finger,” The 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2017, Vancouver, Canada. (Access)
  6. Mahyar Abdeetedal, Mehrdad R. Kermani, “Grasp Evaluation Method for Applying Static Loads leading to Beam Failure,” The 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2017, Vancouver, Canada. (Access)
  7. Mahyar Abdeetedal, and Mehrdad R. Kermani. “Optimal grasp synthesis to apply normal and shear stresses of failure in beams,” The 2016 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM), 2016, Banf, Canada. (Access)
  8. M. Abdeetedal, H. A. Talebi, and F. Abdollahi. “Scale-dependent method for whole arm grasp evaluation,” IECON 2012-38th Annual Conference on IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. IEEE, 2012. (Access)
  9. A. Bakhshi, H.A. Talebi, A.A. Suratgar, M. Abdeetedal. “Stability and Transparency Analysis of a Bilateral Teleoperation in Presence of Data Loss,” IEEE International Symposium on Robotic and Sensors Environments (ROSE), Magdeburg, Germany. IEEE, 2012. (Access)

Opensource Contributions (GitHub)

1. EKF-RLFJ-Robot
MATLAB, TEX
An Extended Kalman Filter for Real-Time Estimation and Control of a Rigid-Link Flexible-Joint Manipulator

2. Kuka-RL
Python
Deep Reinforcement Learning implementations in PyBullet simulation environment

3. SUF-ROS
C++
ROS package for the Sensorized Underactuated Finger (SUF)

4. KUI
C++
An Integration Platform for Multiple Peripheral Modules with Kuka Robots

5. Matlab-Real-Time
C++, MATLAB
Connecting Simulink Desktop Real-Time™ and C++ program using UDP

6. Cartesian-KUKA-Stanford-FRI
C++
A Trajectory Generator in Cartesian Impedance Mode based on Stanford FRI library.

Control Engineering Portfolio (University and Internships)