About Navid Zarrabi

Personal Profile

From a high school line-follower competition to a PhD candidacy at Toronto Metropolitan University today, my career has been a continuous evolution in robotics and AI. With over six years of professional experience in industrial automation complemented by deep academic research in mechatronics and autonomous navigation, I bridge the gap between theoretical innovation and rugged, real-world application. I am dedicated to advancing the future of human-machine interaction, leveraging a decade and a half of technical intuition to develop the next generation of autonomous systems and intelligent mobile robotics.

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) | Toronto, Canada | Jan 2023 – Present

  • Research Focus: In-situ detection of Microplastics particles using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
  • Advisors: Asst. Prof. Sajad Saeedi and Asst. Prof. Nariman Yousefi
  • GPA: 4.25/4.33

M.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering

Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT) | Tehran, Iran | Sept 2017 – Feb 2020

  • Thesis: Implementation of a hybrid path planning algorithm on a mobile transport robot
  • GPA: 17.16/20, Class Rank: Within Top 5%

B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering

Islamic Azad University (SRBIAU) | Tehran, Iran | Sept 2012 – Sept 2016

  • Thesis: Design and Analysis of a novel cooling system for cars
  • GPA: 16.70/20, Class Rank: Within Top 3%

Work Experience

Robotic R&D Engineer, Mobile Robot Developer

Nik Company | Tehran, Iran | July 2020 – Dec 2022

  • Developed autonomous navigation and path planning algorithms as a Python programmer
  • Increased localization accuracy of robots by 5% using sensor fusion
  • Implemented QR code-based autonomous charging station navigation
  • Enhanced human-robot interaction capabilities for service robots on ROS-based platforms
  • Utilized Google's Python API to enable keyword recognition and human engagement

Python and Odoo Developer

EPEN Company | Stuttgart, Germany (Remote) | Feb 2022 – March 2024

  • Designed and developed new Odoo addons from scratch
  • Customized front-end and back-end components of Odoo
  • Established and automated local Odoo environment using Docker for debugging

Teaching Experience

Graduate Assistant

Toronto Metropolitan University | Toronto, Canada | Jan 2023 – Present

  • CEN 100 - Introduction to Engineering: Teaching fundamentals of engineering design and MATLAB
  • Control Engineering (Dr. K. Zareinia): Theoretical and practical aspects of control systems
  • Machine Design 1 (Dr. B. Gheynani & Dr. S. Yu): Design of mechanical components
  • Vibrations (Dr. Bill Lin): Mechanical vibrations in engineering systems
  • Engineering Graphical Communication (Dr. P. Salustri): Technical drawing and CAD tools
  • Mechatronics (Dr. S. Saeedi): Programming, design, and systems integration

Teaching Assistant

Amirkabir University of Technology | Tehran, Iran | Sept – Dec 2019

  • Mechatronics and Its Applications: Hands-on projects and integration of mechanical and electronic systems

Skills

Programming Languages

Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, C++

Mechatronics & CAD

SOLIDWORKS, CATIA

Embedded Systems

AVR, STM32, Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, AAEON upboard, Arduino, OpenCR

Sensors & Hardware

Laser scanners, RGB-D Cameras, Ultrasonic sensors, IMU, Marvelmind Beacons, Shaft Encoder

Technologies

Small-scale 3D Printers, Laser cutting/engraving machine

Office & Design Tools

MS Office, LaTeX, MS To-Do, Adobe Photoshop, Camtasia

Soft Skills

Leadership, Project Management, Team Collaboration, Problem Solving, Innovative Thinking

Achievements

Professional Service

Contact

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Email: [email protected]

GitHub: github.com/naviiidz

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/navid-zarrabi