Wright State University · Dayton, OH · PhD Candidate

Diwakar
Khadka

Bridging the gap between 

Control Systems & Robotics Fault-Tolerant Autonomy Sensor Fusion F-1 · Open to Sponsorship
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Who I Am

About Me

Building robots that work in the real world — reliably.

I'm a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at Wright State University (GPA 4.0), specialising in Control Systems & Robotics. My research focuses on fault-tolerant control of autonomous systems — building architectures that stay safe even when sensors fail.

Beyond theory, I commission real robot cells from scratch: mechanical setup, wiring, calibration, and software. I've brought up Franka Emika FR3 and Universal Robots UR5 platforms, integrated Intel RealSense depth cameras for pick-and-place, built conveyor vision-sorting systems, and designed PLC/HMI programs on Allen-Bradley hardware.

Advanced Control Design PID, LQR, EKF, Fault-Tolerant — from theory to validated hardware deployment.
Robotics Commissioning Franka FR3, UR5, Quanser — hands-on from unboxing to validated operation.
Sensor Fusion & Computer Vision Camera + LiDAR fusion, 3D point cloud processing, real-time pose estimation.
PhD in Electrical Engineering
Wright State University, Dayton, OH
Aug 2024 – Present  ·  GPA 4.0 / 4.0
Specialisation: Control Systems & Robotics
Thesis: Fault-Tolerant Control of Autonomous Systems (QCar2 Camera + LiDAR)
Coursework: Advanced Robotics, Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Foundations of AI
Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical & Electronics
Kathmandu University, Nepal
Aug 2018 – May 2023  ·  CGPA 3.74 / 4.0
Specialisation: Power & Control
Published peer-reviewed research at international conference (USC 2023).

Open to: Robotics Engineer · Autonomous Systems · Control Engineering · Perception / CV · R&D — relocation welcome.

Technical Stack

Skills & Technologies

Robotics & Autonomous Systems

Franka Emika FR3Universal Robots UR5 Quanser QCar2Quanser QArm Robot Commissioning6-DOF Kinematics

Vision & AI

Intel RealSenseLiDAR Fusion 3D Object DetectionPoint Cloud Processing Camera CalibrationOpenCV Deep LearningROS / ROS2

Control Systems

PID ControlLQR EKFFault-Tolerant Control State-Space ModelingMATLAB / Simulink

PLC / Industrial Automation

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000RSLogix 5000 Ladder LogicStructured Text HMI Design (FT View)Motor Control

Programming

PythonMATLAB CC++ ArduinoTypeScript ReactNext.js

Electrical Engineering

Control Panel WiringMotor Control Circuits AutoCADETAP HelioScopePVsystArcGIS

What I've Built

Featured Projects

PhD Thesis Research
In Progress

QCar2 Autonomous Vehicle — Fault-Tolerant Camera + LiDAR Control

Developing and validating fault-tolerant vehicle control architecture with automatic sensor-degradation detection on the Quanser QCar2 platform. Designed safe fallback modes ensuring stable autonomous operation under partial sensor loss. Optimising lane-keeping performance across varied real-world environments.

Key result: Automatic sensor-failure detection with guaranteed safe fallback — vehicle maintains stability under camera or LiDAR degradation.
PythonMATLABLiDAR Camera FusionFault-Tolerant ControlQCar2
Academic Project
Complete

UAV LQR Autopilot + Extended Kalman Filter

Designed LQR controllers for quadrotor UAV attitude, altitude, and position control. Linearised 12-state nonlinear equations of motion numerically. Implemented EKF sensor fusion eliminating ~30° gyro drift.

Key result: ~30° gyro drift eliminated via sensor fusion vs. gyro-only approach.
MATLABSimulinkLQREKF
Research Lab
In Progress

Franka FR3 + Intel RealSense — Vision Pick-and-Place

Full robot cell commissioning from scratch: mechanical setup, wiring, software, and camera-robot calibration. 6-DOF pose estimation from point clouds, grasp programming, repeatable physical validation.

PythonC++Intel RealSenseFranka FR3
Research Lab
In Progress

Conveyor-Based Automated Vision Sorting System

Closed-loop physical system: real-time depth-camera detection, object classification, and automated diverter actuation on a running conveyor. Fully wired and validated on hardware.

PythonDepth CameraClosed-Loop Control
Autonomous Systems

QCar Advanced Lane Detection

Self-driving lane detection system for autonomous navigation on the QCar platform using classical and learned computer vision with OpenCV.

PythonOpenCVLane Detection
Simulation

omnipath-control-sim

Modular Python simulation for autonomous vehicle control implementing Kinematic Bicycle Models and PID trajectory tracking for path planning research.

PythonBicycle ModelPID
Developer Tool

Atlas-Code-Cartographer

Semantic codebase visualisation and discovery engine generating interactive software architecture maps for navigating large codebases.

TypeScriptVisualisationStatic Analysis
Final Year · Published
Complete

Microcontroller-Driven MPPT System for PV Efficiency

Designed and fabricated a 33 µH inductor and buck-boost converter with full electrical calculations. Validated MPPT algorithm in MATLAB. Results published at USC Conference 2023.

Key result: Peer-reviewed publication at international conference.
MicrocontrollerBuck-Boost ConverterMATLAB

Research Output

Publications & Certifications

Microcontroller-Driven MPPT System for Enhanced PV Efficiency

USC Conference 2023  ·  Peer-Reviewed International Conference

First Author 2023

Load Flow Analysis for Scaling Electric Cooking in Nepal

16th International Conference on Power System Technology  ·  2024

Co-Author 2024

Continuing Education

Certifications

Power System Analysis Using ETAP Python (Google) Electric Vehicle Design Scientific Paper Writing (Ecole Polytechnique) EV Electronics (Coursera)

Career Journey

Work Experience

Graduate Researcher — Fault-Tolerant Autonomous Systems

Wright State University, Dayton, OH
Aug 2024 – Present
  • Developing fault-tolerant control architecture for QCar2 autonomous vehicle using camera and LiDAR sensor fusion
  • Commissioned Franka Emika FR3 robot cell from scratch — full mechanical setup, wiring, software, and calibration
  • Programmed Universal Robots UR5 for camera-guided object handling with real-time pose estimation
  • Designed and built conveyor-based automated sorting system — fully wired and validated on physical hardware

Teaching Assistant — Industrial Controls & Automation Lab

Wright State University (EE 4120L / 6120L), Dayton, OH
Jan 2025 – Present
  • Instructed PLC programming: ladder logic, motor control, HMI design, conveyor control sequences
  • Diagnosed electrical and programming faults live; maintained all hardware; taught 20+ students per section

Teaching Assistant — Continuous Control Systems Lab

Wright State University (EE 4130L / 6130L), Dayton, OH
Aug 2024 – Dec 2024
  • Led MATLAB/Simulink labs on PID, PD, and PI controller design and tuning for DC motors

Teaching Assistant — Introduction to Robotics Lab

Wright State University (EE 4560L), Dayton, OH
Aug 2024 – Dec 2024
  • Taught forward/inverse kinematics and trajectory generation using Quanser QArm hardware

Electrical Engineer

Wind Power Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Jun 2023 – Aug 2024
  • Performed fault analysis and load flow studies on industrial distribution feeders using ETAP
  • Designed rooftop solar PV systems using HelioScope and PVsyst for commercial clients

Engineering Intern — Transmission Line Design

Jade Consult Private Limited, Kathmandu, Nepal
Jan 2023 – Feb 2023
  • Contributed to 132 kV and 400 kV transmission line routing using AutoCAD and ArcGIS

Get In Touch

Let's Connect

Open to Opportunities

I'm actively seeking full-time roles in Robotics, Autonomous Systems, Control Engineering, and Perception. Open to relocation and eligible to work in the US under F-1 visa (OPT/STEM OPT), with openness to sponsorship.

Email
priv.diwakarkhadka@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/diwakar-khadka
GitHub
github.com/diwakar57