Engineering Physics → Robotics

Luca Byrnes

Feedback control, machine perception, and embedded systems for robust robotic autonomy.

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Portrait of Luca Byrnes
Fig. 1 — Portrait

Current Focus

Building systems that sense, decide, and control motion in real time.

I'm an MSE Robotics student at UPenn, concentrating in machine perception and feedback/control. I'm interested in autonomy for aerospace and marine systems that operate reliably in harsh conditions and expand what's possible.

I previously studied Engineering Physics at Tufts and have worked with complex sensing systems in the defense space. From submarine-sonar systems integration to embedded development for remote sensors, that experience sharpened how I think about constraints, latency, power budgets, and safety.

Machine PerceptionFeedback ControlEmbedded SystemsPCB DesignCADPythonC++MATLABROS 2

Portfolio

All Projects
Learning-Augmented MPC for Spacecraft Attitude Control project image

Featured Project

Learning-Augmented MPC for Spacecraft Attitude Control

A controller comparison study for nonlinear spacecraft attitude regulation under model uncertainty, actuator limits, and persistent disturbances.
MPCLQRNeural Residual ModelRigid-Body DynamicsPythonDrakePyTorch
Self-Balancing Robot project image

Featured Project

Self-Balancing Robot

I designed and created a self-balancing robot that not only stabilizes itself but also holds position using a cascaded PID architecture on an ESP32, real-time sensing (IMU + encoders), and Wi-Fi/MQTT for live tuning.
Feedback/ControlsSensor ProcessingEmbedded Software (C++)MechatronicsMQTT/IoT
4DOF Kinematic Robotic Arm project image

Featured Project

4DOF Kinematic Robotic Arm

Developed a 4DOF robotic arm capable of drawing shapes and characters on a plane, incorporating inverse/forward kinematics, modular CAD design, and servo actuation.
KinematicsCAD ModelingEmbedded Software (C++)Mechanisms & Actuation

Technical Areas

Where I focus my work

Feedback Control

Control design, dynamics, estimation, and real-time response for physical systems.

PIDMPCDynamics

Machine Perception

Sensor-driven autonomy with attention to uncertainty, latency, and real-world deployment.

SensingRoboticsState Estimation

Embedded Systems

Hardware-aware software for microcontrollers, remote sensors, and constrained systems.

Real-TimeMicrocontrollersIntegration

Next Step

Explore the systems behind the summary.

My project pages go deeper into mechanical design, control theory, electronics, software architecture, and results.

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