Sujal Bhakare

Lead Embedded Systems Engineer | UB Lunabotics

University at Buffalo • Parttime

Apr 2024 - May 2026 • 2 yrs 1 mo

Lead embedded systems and autonomy infrastructure for an autonomous lunar rover competing in the NASA Lunabotics Challenge. Own system-level design spanning hardware, firmware, and compute integration to meet mission-critical reliability requirements in a simulated lunar environment. Key contributions: Designed custom PCBs, power distribution, and sensor interfaces integrating IMUs, GPS, LiDAR, and cameras. Developed real-time firmware on STM32 and ESP32 microcontrollers and integrated low-level control with NVIDIA Jetson high-level compute. Architected dual-mode control systems supporting both manual operation and autonomous navigation/digging. Collaborated with mechanical and software teams to achieve robust autonomy, precision perception, and power-efficient operation. Led hardware testing, system validation, and fail-safe design to meet NASA competition reliability standards. This role combines hands-on embedded engineering with system-level ownership under extreme-environment constraints.

Hardware team member | Stark Hacks

Purdue University • Freelance

Nov 2025 - Apr 2026 • 5 mos

Conducted application reviews. Built Automation for parts ordering and optamised the cost for the World's largest Hardware Hackthon.