Toluwalope Dada
Robotics Engineer
→ Professional Summary
A self learning robotics engineer, with research interest in building hybrid and non-hybrid fixed-wing VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Boasting professional experience in automation, automobile repair, maintenance operations, supply chain, fleet management with a graduate mechanical engineer foundation.
→ Work Experience
Robotic Engineer
Tdad Logistic Network
Jan 2026 - Present
- Designed a comprehensive testing framework combining software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulation with Gazebo, executing 1000+ automated test scenarios covering diverse weather conditions, sensor failures, and GPS-denied environments
- Single engineering member of an aerial logistics startup, overseeing controls, perception, and embedded systems through Agile development cycles, delivering major feature releases including autonomous landing system and multi-drone coordination within a simulation environment
Embedded Systems Trainee
Kadosh Mechatronics
Dec 2025 - Jan 2026
- Integrated ROS2 middleware with PX4 via Micro XRCE-DDS bridge and connected QGroundControl for real-time mission planning and telemetry monitoring.
- Identified and resolved control system bugs during simulation that could cause in-flight failures if undetected.
- Testing a simulation build of a cost-effective Software-in-the-Loop test platform using Arduino Uno and PX4 Pixhawk, aimed at reducing hardware testing costs.
- Developing a custom C firmware for Arduino to emulate 6-DOF IMU and GPS signals, establishing serial communication with Pixhawk at 100Hz update rate.
Machine Learning Trainee
Kadosh Mechatronics
Sept 2025 - Jan 2026
- Pioneered the trainee program of machine learning for engineering professionals. Leveraging the training for developing an ML model for a fixed-wing VTOL drone.
- Designed an end-to-end SITL pipeline integrating PX4 firmware, Gazebo physics simulator, ROS2 middleware, and QGroundControl for autonomous drone development.
- Integrated YOLOv5 computer vision model with Gazebo camera plugin for autonomous landing site detection during simulated GPS-denied scenarios.
- Creating an automated SITL testing framework evaluating ML controllers across 1,000+ flight scenarios with varying weather, payloads, and failure modes.
→ Education
Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control Specialization
Northwestern University
2025 - Present
- Configuration space topology and representation, velocity constraints, task space and workspace.
- Rigid-body motions, rotation matrices, angular velocities, and exponential coordinates of rotation.
- Homogeneous transformation matrices, twists, screws, exponential coordinates of rigid-body motion, and wrenches.
- Velocity kinematics using the space Jacobian and body Jacobian, statics of open chains, singularities, and manipulability.
Autonomous Aerospace Systems
Università di Napoli Federico II
2025 - Present
- Introduction to the concept of Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV and Unmanned Aircraft System UAS.
- System Representation of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), UAS System Architecture and Simulation models.
- Principles of guidance, path management and path following for autonomous aircraft.
- Integrated navigation systems for autonomous aerospace systems, GPS/INS and Dead Reckoning.
- Fundamentals of target tracking systems, object detection and tracking for sensing and avoidance systems.
- Design Models and Open-loop dynamics, Autopilot Design, and Altitude-control State Machine.
Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Federal University of Technology Akure
2021 - 2025
- Completed 500+ hours of coursework including engineering design, engineering mathematic etc.
- Began to build a 10+ portfolio project template with an engineering blog to educate others in automation.
- Designed and implemented an hardware integration of software controlled welding platform.
- Carried out novel arc welding jobs on my project and and started to learn to program in C, C++ and python.
Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Federal University of Technology Akure
2014 - 2019
- Served as the departmental football coach, leading the department to a third place finish in the university wide prestigious Vice-Chancellor's competition.
- Worked in a team of 5 engineering students to design and fabricate a model of a portable table-top paper cutting machine for use in offices.
- Oversaw a weekly prayer meeting for one session (eleven months) at the university chapter of the Foursquare Student's fellowship, engaging over 250 students in active participation.
→ Skills
Technical Skills
CAD Hardware Integration Machine Learning Programming Robotics Simulation UAV Development
Soft Skills
Problem Solving Teaching Team Collaboration Communication Technical Writing
→ Certifications
ROS2 Certification
The Construct