Zihan Lin

Robotics & Mechanical Engineer
Waltham, MA 857-294-5016 zlukelin@gmail.com neulinzihan.github.io linkedin.com/in/zlukelin
Download My Resume — 1-page and full versions
↓ 1-Page Resume ↓ 2-Page Resume
Summary

Mechanical Engineer with M.S. in Robotics and hands-on experience in hardware testing, electromechanical system troubleshooting, and sensor integration. Experienced in interpreting schematics, writing test documentation, and collaborating cross-functionally to resolve hardware defects. Bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Education
Master of Science in Robotics Dec 2025
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Dual Husky Scholars · Presidential Global Scholars · Dean's Honor List
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Dec 2023
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Minor in Mathematics · GPA: 3.2 · Dean's Honor List
Skills
Sensing & PrototypingSensor Fusion, IMU/GPS, ToF, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, 3D Printing (DLP/FDM)
Robotics & SoftwareGit, Python, ROS 2, C#, Linux, Reinforcement Learning, PID Control
CAD / CAESolidWorks, Creo, ANSYS (FEA), MATLAB / Simulink
Work Experience
Mechanical Test Engineer Co-op
SharkNinja, Needham MA
Sealed chambers · wind tunnel validation · Python data logging
Jan – Jun 2023+
  • Designed sealed test chambers, compressed-air nozzles, and fabric-attachment fixtures to validate Shark Air Purifier compress air system and wind tunnel.
  • Troubleshot testing protocol failures for Shark Uprights and Robotic Vacuums, improving test reliability.
  • Wrote Python scripts to parse pressure-sensor and wind-tunnel datasets, flagging out-of-spec readings. Configured Prometheus for automated data logging.
  • Logged defects and non-conformance findings; delivered weekly test-result summaries to engineering leadership.
SolidWorksTest FixturesPythonPrometheus
Mechanical Design & Production Engineering Intern
HiRain Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing
PCB test fixtures · firmware flashing · DFM-compliant PCBA enclosures
Jul – Dec 2021+
  • Constructed PCB test fixtures; validated circuit performance through firmware flashing, Linux debugging, and soldering rework in post-production testing.
  • Optimized 2D/3D CAD models for PCBA enclosures in AutoCAD and Creo, ensuring DFM compliance and geometric tolerance.
  • Interpreted wiring diagrams and schematics to troubleshoot board-level hardware failures.
AutoCADCreoPCBLinux
Project Experience
Micro/Nano Biomechanical Characterization Lab
Research Assistant · Northeastern University
Published in EJM · dual-IMU fusion · 5× faster test cycle
Jun 2022 – Dec 2025+
  • 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).
  • Co-authored publication in European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids (DOI: 10.1016/j.euromechsol.2024.105343).
  • Automated indentation testing via Raspberry Pi/Python/PID-controlled X-Y stage, reducing per-sample cycle time by 5×.
  • Designed multi-geometry indenters in SolidWorks and fabricated via DLP 3D printing.
IMU FusionRaspberry PiPIDSolidWorksDLP 3D Print
GPS/IMU Driver Development & Sensor Fusion
40 Hz ROS 2 driver · Allan Variance · 2+ km trajectory reconstruction
Sep – Dec 2025+
  • Developed inertial odometry pipeline with least-squares magnetometer calibration and complementary filter fusing gyroscope and magnetometer heading estimates.
  • Characterized gyroscope stochastic errors (ARW, Bias Instability, RRW) via Allan Variance on a 5-hour stationary dataset.
  • Engineered a ROS 2 device driver for VectorNav VN-100 IMU over USB serial at 40 Hz; collaborated via Git.
ROS 2Sensor FusionAllan VarianceLinuxGit
Disaster Relief Drones Simulation
100% coverage · 30% less redundancy · 20k RL episodes
Jan – May 2025+
  • Architected autonomous drone deployment using Q-learning RL and A* pathfinding to restore LTE coverage; achieved 100% area coverage across 7×7 to 20×20 grids.
  • Designed multi-objective reward function; reduced drone redundancy by 30% vs. random placement over 20,000 episodes.
Q-LearningA*PythonRL
ToF Cameras & Vibrational Smart Glass
Wearable obstacle detection · PWM haptics · 30% accuracy improvement
Sep – Dec 2024+
  • Built wearable obstacle-detection prototype — Arducam ToF camera and dual vibration motors on a custom resin 3D-printed frame driven by Raspberry Pi 4B.
  • Implemented real-time depth pipeline with tri-zone ROI and PWM haptic feedback, achieving 30% improvement in user feedback accuracy.
ToFRaspberry PiHapticsPython
6-DOF Robotic Arm Trajectory Control
NMPC + Gaussian Process · disturbance rejection · MATLAB/Simulink
Sep – Dec 2024+
  • Designed 6-DOF robotic arm control system using NMPC with a Gaussian Process-augmented state-space model for precise trajectory tracking and disturbance rejection.
MATLABSimulinkNMPCGaussian Process
Composite Pressure Vessel FEA
ANSYS Workbench · fibrous composites · von Mises stress validation
Jan – May 2022+
  • Performed FEA in ANSYS Workbench to model fibrous composite layups in a high-pressure liquid tank, verifying peak von Mises stress remained within safety margins.
ANSYSFEAComposites