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A concise summary of my education, work experience, projects, and skills in robotics, mechatronics, and automation.

Basics

Name Yunus Emre Danabaş
Label B.Sc. Mechatronics (2025) · B.Sc. Electronics (Expected 2026)
Email yunusdanabas@sabanciuniv.edu
Phone +90 5059546704
Url https://yunusemredanabas.com
Summary Final-year undergrad at Sabancı, combining Mechatronics (2025) and Electronics (expected 2026) with hands-on robotics, control, and embedded systems—focus on robust, end-to-end solutions.

Education

  • 2023 - 2026

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Sabancı University
    Bachelor in Electronics Engineering (Double Major)
    CGPA: 3.77/4.00
    • Double Major, expected June 2026
    • Focus on embedded systems and electronics for robotics applications
  • 2020 - 2025

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Sabancı University
    Bachelor in Mechatronics Engineering
    CGPA: 3.77/4.00
    • Graduated June 2025; Ranked 1st in Department
    • Combined specialization in robotics, control, and embedded systems across both majors
    Relevant Courses:
    • Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines
    • Introduction to Robotics
    • Autonomous Mobile Robotics
    • Deep Learning for Robot Control

Research & Engineering Experience

  • 2025.10 - present

    Istanbul, Turkey

    As Robotics (COMAU Turkey)
    Part-time Robotics Engineer
    Part-time role designing manual guidance and motion-teaching interfaces for industrial robots.
    • Prototyped a capacitive grip/touch sensor; designed and fabricated a simple PCB in-house (KiCad, LPKF).
    • Developing a handheld motion-teaching (programming-by-demonstration) workflow for COMAU robots; pose capture and replay prototype in progress.
    • Implementing integration and control tooling in C++/Python using COMAU APIs; completed PDL2 training.
  • 2025.06 - 2025.10

    Napoli, Italy

    PRISMA Lab, University of Naples Federico II
    Research Intern
    • Defined a per-side actuated suspension concept for a compact lunar micro-rover, enabling ride height (heave) and roll leveling while preserving passive pitch averaging.
    • Initiated ROS 2 + Gazebo simulation pipeline (CAD to URDF/Xacro; ros2_control; posture presets) and handed off Gazebo C++ plugin development for passive differential emulation.
    • Synthesized design guidelines from lunar rover and mobile robotics literature; integrated self-locking linear actuators per side.
  • 2024.06 - 2024.08

    Munich, Germany

    Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (TUM MIRMI)
    Research Intern
    • Investigated crossed-flexure hinge architectures to decouple force and moment measurements in robotic 6-DoF force-torque sensors, enabling higher moment capacity without sacrificing force resolution.
    • Developed a parametric MATLAB simulation pipeline based on Wittrick's crossed-strip flexure theory to rapidly explore hinge geometries, loading scenarios, and deformation characteristics.
    • Fabricated physical prototypes using SolidWorks for CAD design and implemented precise instrumentation with strain gauges; created a detailed installation and testing manual.
    • Validated deformation models experimentally using a custom computer-vision pipeline (edge detection, RANSAC curve fitting), ensuring consistency between analytical predictions and real-world data.
    • Created a Gazebo digital twin for flexure-stage integration, enabling pre-hardware controller tuning and stability assessment.
  • 2023.09 - 2023.10

    Gebze, Turkey

    TÜBİTAK BİLGEM
    Robotics Engineering Intern
    • Completed formal ROS training focused on SLAM, navigation, and multi-robot systems.
    • Designed and benchmarked single- vs multi-robot frontier-exploration strategies in Gazebo (TurtleBot3).
    • Implemented real-time map-merging and RViz visualization for collaborative exploration.
  • 2023.06 - 2023.09

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Pubinno Inc.
    Mechanical Engineering Intern
    • Designed 3D-printed prototypes in Onshape to accelerate iteration cycles.
    • Led development of an automated maintenance prototype enabling field technicians to perform first-line servicing.
    • Coordinated QA/QC activities with suppliers and documented manufacturing processes.
  • 2023.01 - 2023.02

    Gebze, Turkey

    TÜBİTAK BİLGEM
    Embedded Systems Intern
    • Gained hands-on experience with Adalm-Pluto SDR, implementing Python-based wireless communication and signal-processing demos.

Teaching Experience

  • 2024.09 - present

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Sabancı University
    Teaching Assistant
    Teaching assistant for ME312 and ME403; labs, recitations, and project supervision.
    Courses:
    • ME312 Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms
    • ME403 Introduction to Robotics
    • Led labs/recitations, held weekly office hours, and supervised course projects for 20+ students per semester.

Skills

  • CAD & Fabrication
    SolidWorks (CSWA), Onshape, Fusion 360, FDM 3D printing
  • Robotics Stack
    ROS 1/2, micro-ROS, URDF/Xacro, Gazebo, ros2_control, MoveIt/MoveIt2, Navigation2
  • Modeling & Control
    MATLAB/Simulink, Autolev
  • Learning & Simulation
    JAX (Equinox, Optax, Diffrax), MuJoCo, Brax, RL (BC, PPO)
  • Perception
    OpenCV, MediaPipe, ArUco, RealSense SDK
  • Programming
    Python, C/C++, MATLAB, Assembly
  • Embedded & Electronics
    Arduino, ESP32, Verilog, LTspice, PCB design (KiCad), PCB prototyping/production (LPKF S63)
  • Tools & DevOps
    Git, Docker, Linux

Projects

  • 2024.10 - 2025.05
    Passive Walker RL Pipeline
    Graduation project: three-stage curriculum (FSM seeding ➜ Behaviour Cloning ➜ PPO) that trains a passive-dynamic biped to achieve stable downhill gait in fewer than 10⁶ steps. MuJoCo supplies fidelity; Brax delivers >1M env-steps/s for GPU-parallel sweeps. Supervised by Prof. Volkan Patoğlu and Dr. Aykut Cihan Satici.
    • Finite-state expert generates ~30k demos in 30 s; BC yields walk-from-boot policy; PPO reaches steady gait in 10⁵ steps (5× faster than scratch)
    • Implemented JAX + Equinox + Optax stack; 1M-param policy; reproducible hash-named artefacts and one-command replay
    • Published code, configs, and logs (MIT); ran hyperparameter sweeps for robust policies
  • 2025.03 - 2025.05
    Hand-Steer Sim — Gesture Teleoperation
    Solo capstone (EE417 Computer Vision, Spring 2025): vision-only teleoperation stack converting webcam/RealSense video into ROS geometry_msgs/Twist for differential-drive robots. Supports discrete hand-sign mode and steering-wheel metaphor with MediaPipe landmarks and compact TFLite models. Docker (CPU/GPU) and Gazebo integration.
    • Dual-branch inference: 1k-param MLP for static gestures (Stop, Holding Wheel, Speed Up/Down); 6k-param LSTM for steering trajectories (Turn Left/Right, Forward)
    • 99% macro-F1 on held-out test; 13 ms end-to-end latency on GPU (25 ms CPU) at 30 FPS
    • Released fused /cmd_vel launcher, dataset, training notebooks, and CPU/GPU Docker images for reproducible deployment
  • 2023.09 - 2023.09
    MultiExplorer — Multi-Robot Frontier Exploration
    First ROS project after TÜBİTAK BİLGEM boot camp: Gazebo-based study comparing single-, double-, and triple-robot TurtleBot3 frontier exploration and SLAM. Built end-to-end autonomous exploration pipeline with namespaces, TF, launch design, and topic remapping.
    • Implemented explore_lite, GMapping, move_base/DWA, and multirobot_map_merge in namespaced stacks
    • Merged maps in real time; benchmarked 1/2/3-robot configurations; triple-robot setup reduced coverage time vs single-robot baseline
    • Headless Gazebo launches for CI; Canva presentation for dissemination
  • 2022.06 - 2025.01
    SURover — Technical Team Captain
    Sabancı University Rover Team: built ROS + Gazebo digital twin and led mechanical, electronics, and software integration for a field-ready rover. Oversaw team operations and project continuity within IEEE Student Chapter.
    • Authored URDF/Xacro and MoveIt pipelines for drivetrain and manipulator; enabled sim-to-hardware deployment
    • Multi-sensor fusion and ArUco-based fiducial SLAM with ZED2, RealSense D435i, and RPLIDAR-A3
    • Wi-Fi joystick with watchdog and E-stop; mechanical fabrication, cabling, and Arduino-based motor control
  • 2024.10 - 2025.01
    Cart-Pole Swing-Up Control (JAX & MuJoCo)
    Hybrid control combining neural energy shaping with classical LQR for cart-pole swing-up. End-to-end differentiable training in JAX (Equinox/Diffrax); real-time deployment at 1 kHz in MuJoCo 3.x. Supervised by Dr. Aykut Cihan Satici.
    • Neural energy shaping for robust swing-up from arbitrary initial conditions; LQR for stabilization around upright
    • 98% success rate across disturbance profiles; ~1.9 s swing-up time; <5 min CPU training with analytical gradients
    • Implemented in JAX/Equinox/Diffrax; validated robustness across pose and velocity distributions
  • 2023.01 - 2024.01
    Robotic Item Placement on Cluttered Desks (Baxter)
    Group project (Prof. Volkan Patoğlu, Prof. Esra Erdem): Bayesian optimization with transfer learning for sequential, collision-free object placement on cluttered surfaces. I ported Baxter SDK to ROS Noetic (Python 3) and repaired MoveIt and Gazebo pipeline for sim-to-robot deployment.
    • Updated core interface, enable/disable, tuck/untuck, cameras, example scripts; Gazebo stack for pre-hardware testing
    • Same stack on sim and hardware enables develop-in-Gazebo, deploy-on-Baxter workflow with minimal changes
    • Demonstrated clutter-aware placement policies; MoveIt for motion planning in both settings

Awards

  • 2025
    • Graduated 1st in Mechatronics Engineering Department— Sabancı University
    • Ranked 7th in the Electronics Engineering Department (as of 2025)— Sabancı University
  • 2023, 2024
    • Extracurricular Student Activities Leadership Award— Sabancı University
  • 2020–2025
    • Merit-Based Full Tuition Scholarship— Sabancı University
    • Dean's High Honor— Sabancı University

Certificates

Languages

English
Advanced
Turkish
Native

Volunteer

  • 2022.09 - 2024.09

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Board Member
    Sabancı IEEE Student Chapter
    Responsible board member overseeing SURover team operations, maintaining the leadership structure, and ensuring project continuity within the chapter.
  • 2022.09 - 2024.06

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Financial Affairs Coordinator
    Sabancı University SIAM Student Chapter
    Managed chapter budgets, sponsorship funds, and financial reports in coordination with global SIAM headquarters. Organized seminars, reading groups, and on-campus mathematics competitions to boost student engagement.
  • 2021.04 - 2021.06

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Volunteer Narrator
    Civic Involvement Projects
    Recorded and edited audiobooks for visually impaired individuals, expanding the accessibility of educational and literary resources.

Interests

Robotics
Control Systems
Embedded Systems
Simulation
Automation
Machine Learning
Reinforcement Learning
Optimization
Data-Driven Control