// hello world

Hey, I'm Zihan.

Robotics engineer who likes building things that move, sense, and (sometimes) think. Currently exploring the intersection of mechanical systems and intelligent control.

sensor fusion reinforcement learning ROS 2 mechatronics
View CV See Projects
Open to work — Feb 2026
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01 / about

A Bit About Me

Zihan Lin

I'm a Robotics M.S. graduate from Northeastern University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in math.

My work sits at the crossroads of sensor fusion, reinforcement learning, ROS 2, and mechatronic systems — basically anything that involves making hardware and software talk to each other.

I've done hands-on engineering at SharkNinja and HiRain Technology, and published research on soft material biomechanics in the European Journal of Mechanics.

When I'm not debugging ROS nodes, you can probably find me on the basketball court or at a makerspace.

Selected Projects

Things I've built, broken, and rebuilt

Biomechanics
jun 2022 — dec 2025

Micro/Nano Biomechanical Characterization Lab

Engineered 3D-printed compliant linkage with dual-IMU sensor fusion to reconstruct real-time 3D inclusion trajectories. Identified Southwell-type lateral instability at critical depth (~19 mm). Automated indentation testing via Raspberry Pi/Python/PID, reducing per-sample cycle time by 5×.

IMU FusionRaspberry PiPIDSolidWorks
IMU
sep — dec 2025

GPS/IMU Driver & Sensor Fusion

Built inertial odometry pipeline with least-squares magnetometer calibration and complementary filter fusing gyroscope + magnetometer heading. ROS 2 driver for VectorNav VN-100 IMU at 40 Hz. Characterized gyroscope errors via Allan Variance.

ROS 2Sensor FusionAllan VarianceLinux
Drone
jan — may 2025

Disaster Relief Drones Simulation

Architected autonomous drone deployment using Q-learning RL and A* pathfinding to restore LTE coverage in disaster zones. 100% area coverage across 7×7 to 20×20 grids. 30% less drone redundancy vs. random placement over 20k episodes.

Q-LearningA*PythonRL
Wearable
sep — dec 2024

ToF Cameras & Vibrational Smart Glass

Wearable obstacle-detection for visually impaired users. Arducam ToF + dual vibration motors on custom 3D-printed glasses driven by RPi 4B. Real-time depth pipeline with tri-zone ROI and PWM haptic feedback. 30% user accuracy improvement.

Raspberry PiToFHapticsPython
Robot Arm
sep — dec 2024

6-DOF Robotic Arm Trajectory Control

NMPC with Gaussian Process-augmented state-space model for precise trajectory tracking. Captures nonlinear dynamics and rejects stochastic disturbances in MATLAB/Simulink.

MATLABNMPCGaussian Process
Humanoid
jul — dec 2022

Anime-Styled Humanoid Robot Torso

4-DOF modular robotic arm in SolidWorks through 3 design iterations. Joystick control on RPi with MCP3008 ADC for real-time PWM servo control. 3D printed in ABS/carbon fiber.

SolidWorksRPiPython3D Print
Simulink
summer 2024

Vehicle Motion Control System

Simulink/Simscape models for position and speed control via encoder and Arduino. Transfer function estimation with <5% error. PID tuning and FFT analysis for noise stability.

SimulinkSimscapePIDArduino
FEA
jan — may 2022

Biomechanics & Composite FEA

MATLAB FEA for bone with variable cross-section + mesh convergence study. 2D truss solver for fibrous composites (2000 nodes, 5800+ elements) with crack propagation. ANSYS static analysis at 750 psi.

MATLABANSYSFEABiomechanics
Fluid
sep — dec 2021

Tethered-Sphere Flow Sensor

MATLAB model of tethered-sphere flow-velocity sensor with Reynolds-dependent drag. Parametric sensitivity analysis for deployment optimization across varying river conditions.

MATLABFluid MechanicsModeling
Light
mar — apr 2020

Light Level vs. Sleep Quality

Arduino-based ambient light monitor with photoresistor and LCD. 4-week self-experiment on nighttime light exposure effects on resting heart rate and recovery.

ArduinoSensorsExperiment Design
Bridge
april 2019

Spaghetti Bridge Design

Researched bridge structures, analyzed beam mechanics and weight capacity. AutoCAD design with team-built prototype. the og engineering project.

AutoCADStructuralPrototyping
02 / experience

where i've worked

jun 2022 — dec 2025

Research Assistant

Micro/Nano Biomechanical Characterization Lab, NEU

Engineered 3D-printed compliant linkage with dual-IMU sensor fusion. Co-authored publication in European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids.

jan — jun 2023

Mechanical Test Engineer Co-op

SharkNinja, Needham MA

Designed sealed test chambers, compressed-air nozzles, and fixtures for Shark Air Purifier and wind tunnel validation. Troubleshot testing protocols for vacuums.

jul — dec 2021

ME Design & Production Intern

HiRain Technology, Beijing

PCB test fixtures, firmware flashing, Linux debugging, soldering rework. Optimized CAD models for PCBA enclosures with DFM compliance.

03 / education

where i studied

M.S. Robotics
Northeastern University
2024 — 2025 · ME Concentration
EXP Makerspace, Basketball Intramural, Toastmaster, NUCCFll
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Northeastern University
2019 — 2023 · Minor in Math
Dean's Honor List · Presidential Global Scholars · Basketball, Ski Club, International Student Mentor
High School Diploma
Beijing No.35 High School
2016 — 2019 · Beijing, China
Harvard Business School Camp · 3D Printing Club · Business Case Comp 1st/30 · String Orchestra
04 / skills

what i work with

Sensing & Prototyping

Sensor Fusion (IMU/GPS/ToF)85%
Raspberry Pi / Arduino80%
3D Printing (DLP/FDM)75%

Robotics

Python90%
ROS 2 / Linux80%
RL / PID Control75%

CAD / CAE

SolidWorks / Creo85%
MATLAB / Simulink80%
ANSYS (FEA)70%

let's build something cool.

interested in robotics, ai, or just wanna chat?

full cv publications say hi