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P28 / engineering project / prototyped

Sand-Walking Robotic Turtle Prototype

A conservative mechatronics concept/prototype for terrain mobility using bio-inspired turtle locomotion on sand.

2024-2026UIDE, Ecuador
COMPUTATIONAL VALIDATION LOOPSand-Walking Robotic Turtle Prototype
01PHYSICAL QUESTIONrequirements / mechanisms / scales
02MODELRVE / RNM / DEM / FEM / FEA
03SOLVECST / HFSS / COMSOL / ANSYS / Abaqus
04VALIDATERF / mechanical / electrical experiments
05REFINEPython / MATLAB / sensitivity analysis
06ENGINEERprototype / instrument / deployment

Models are tested against experiments and returned to engineering decisions.

01

Problem or Industrial Need

Loose granular terrain creates mobility challenges for small robots because traction, body support and gait coordination change with the substrate.

02

Engineering or Scientific Solution

A sand-walking robotic turtle concept/prototype using bio-inspired locomotion, mechanical linkage design, embedded control and terrain-oriented testing.

03

Sebastian's Technical Contribution

Defined the mechatronics architecture, connected mechanical design with embedded control requirements and supervised the prototype direction as an advanced mechatronics project.

04

Methods and Tools Used

  • Bio-inspired locomotion concept development
  • Mechanical linkage and body-architecture design
  • Embedded control and actuation planning
  • Prototype-oriented terrain-mobility evaluation
05

Prototype, Simulation and Experimental Evidence

prototype

Sand-mobility prototype concept

The record is presented conservatively as a concept/prototype project without public performance metrics.

06

Measurable Result or Published Finding

Advanced mechatronics project record

The project expands the portfolio with bio-inspired robotics, embedded control and mechanical prototyping for granular-terrain mobility.

07

Diagrams and Publications

COMPUTATIONAL VALIDATION LOOPSand-Walking Robotic Turtle Prototype
01PHYSICAL QUESTIONrequirements / mechanisms / scales
02MODELRVE / RNM / DEM / FEM / FEA
03SOLVECST / HFSS / COMSOL / ANSYS / Abaqus
04VALIDATERF / mechanical / electrical experiments
05REFINEPython / MATLAB / sensitivity analysis
06ENGINEERprototype / instrument / deployment

Models are tested against experiments and returned to engineering decisions.

08

Role, Team Attribution, Institution and Project Context

Mechatronics engineering project; technical supervision and system-architecture contribution at UIDE.

Connected work

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Multidisciplinary Mechatronics Project Development

Problem
Multidisciplinary student engineering requires a repeatable path from requirements and models to working prototypes and defensible validation.
Solution
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Evidence / result
35 multidisciplinary projects coordinated
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P142025-2026

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Problem
Engineering education and prototype development needed a shared simulation-to-embedded stack for robotics, digital twins and AI-enabled systems.
Solution
Deployment of NVIDIA Omniverse, Isaac Sim and Jetson across simulation, workshops, supervised projects and collaboration as the first official NVIDIA University Ambassador in Ecuador.
Evidence / result
3 NVIDIA platforms deployed
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P152020-Present

Smart Realities: Spatial Computing and Connected Systems

Problem
Emerging-technology concepts often fail to connect interactive software, physical hardware, learning content and a practical delivery strategy.
Solution
An independent R&D initiative integrating sensors, embedded systems, data processing, spatial interfaces and web-based engineering applications.
Evidence / result
4 cross-functional teams led
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