Available for research collaboration

Hrag Djabraian

Mechanical Engineering Researcher/Controls & Robotics/UC San Diego

From airframe fabrication to flight-control integration, building aerial platforms from the hardware up.

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GPA · UC San Diego

Languages Spoken

Rotors · Research UAV

Engineering Teams Led

Ethos

About

Rigorous engineering, from first principles to flight test.

B.S. Mechanical Engineering with a Specialization in Controls and Robotics from UC San Diego, graduating with a 3.96 GPA and membership in the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Beginning Fall 2026: a research-based M.S. at UC San Diego in controls and mechatronics, continuing the aerial-robotics research in the same lab.

My background spans aerial vehicle research, embedded electronics, competitive eVTOL development, and hands-on mechanical systems. Research interests center on flight control, estimation, robust control, and robotics for autonomous and dynamic systems.

Focus

Flight control · Estimation · Robust control · Robotics

Education

B.S. MechE · UC San Diego · 3.96 GPA · Tau Beta PiM.S. Controls & Mechatronics · UC San Diego · Fall 2026

Languages

English · French · Armenian · Arabic · Spanish

San Diego, CA

Featured

Research

Undergraduate Research

Canted-Rotor Hexacopter Platform

UCSD Coordinated Robotics LabProf. Thomas Bewley

Jan 2026 to Present

Undergraduate research focused on the design, development, and experimental validation of a canted-rotor hexacopter. Investigated multiple airframe configurations in parallel, comparing structural layout, mass distribution, manufacturability, and propulsion integration. Developed a lightweight, modular airframe architecture optimized for structural efficiency and stiffness. Fabricated and experimentally evaluated prototype configurations to assess maneuverability and structural robustness.

UAV/Hexacopter/Airframe Design/PX4/Flight Control/Embedded Systems/Fabrication

Prototype · Iso viewFIG. 01

Engineering

Experience

Sep 2025 – PresentSan Diego, CA

Project Manager & Controls/Electronics Lead

UCSD DBVF Team

Leading coordination across four engineering teams (Airframe, Embedded Controls, Software/Automation, and Proposal) developing a wildfire-response eVTOL for the 2025–2026 Vertical Flight Society Design Competition. Directing the Embedded Controls team in design and analysis of the aircraft's power and control systems (batteries, PDB, ESCs, flight controller, sensors). Managing technical documentation including the Safety and Risk Plan, Wiring Plan, and Final Technical Report.

eVTOL/Flight Controller/Power Systems/Team Leadership/Technical Documentation

Oct 2021 – Jan 2024Los Angeles, CA

Apprentice Mechanic

A Certified Autowork Inc.

Diagnosed and repaired mechanical systems across a wide range of vehicles, from carbureted engines to modern computer-controlled drivetrains. Serviced and overhauled powertrain, suspension, and braking systems on high-performance vehicles to strict engineering tolerances. Introduced data-driven diagnostics using OBD-II and digital repair repositories. Prepared technical reports and warranty claims, securing over $11,000 in reimbursements.

Mechanical Systems/Diagnostics/Technical Reporting

Selected Work

Projects

Wireframe mesh render of fluid overflow chute and tubing assembly

P-01Jul 2024

Fluid Overflow Management Component

Independent Project

Bavaria, Germany

Designed and fabricated a 3D-printed chute-and-tubing system to capture and redirect overflow fluid from a pressurized jet apparatus used in fluid flow and heat transfer research. Iterated CAD models to optimize fit, flow routing, and durability. Final design successfully contained excess fluid, enabled recovery for reuse, and prevented equipment damage. Designed to be adaptable for closed-loop fluid reservoir integration.

CAD/Additive Manufacturing/Fluid Systems/Prototyping

P-02Spring 2026

RFID-Enabled Cognitive Self-Training System for Mice

MAE 156B Senior Design Capstone, UC San Diego

Sponsor: Dr. Jared Young, UCSD Health

Team: Victor Perez, Farbod Haeri, Samuel Winters, Hrag Djabraian

Designed and built an RFID-controlled dual-guillotine gate airlock system connecting a group-housing cage to an existing touchscreen training chamber. Passive RFID transponders implanted in each mouse allow the system to identify individual animals and enforce single-occupancy access automatically, eliminating manual handling and individual housing. Reduced cohort training time from 5 to 6 months down to 10 to 15 days. System achieves under 200ms tag-to-gate actuation latency and supports 4 mice per cage simultaneously.

View full project site

RFID/Embedded Systems/CAD/Additive Manufacturing/Control Software/Biomedical

In Development

AI Tracking Turret

Active BuildFull write-up coming soon_

A real-time visual servoing platform: a two-axis pan-tilt turret that detects, estimates, and follows moving targets using computer vision and closed-loop control. Built end to end — vision pipeline, state estimation, control law, embedded actuation, and a live tuning interface.

SENSOR1080p / 90 fps camera pipeline

VISIONNeural detectors at 25–30 fps inference

ESTIMATIONPer-axis Kalman filtering with velocity prediction

CONTROLClosed-loop PD on pan and tilt, live-tunable gains

ACTUATION2-axis servo turret · embedded microcontroller

MODESTrack · Pointer · Joystick · Sentry sweep

Next objective: autonomous lock-on and tracking of the canted-rotor hexacopter in flight — closing the loop between both research platforms.

Target acquisition · demo footage soon

Praxis

Skills

Controls & Autonomy

PID Control Design & Tuning
State Estimation (Kalman Filtering)
Flight Control (PX4)
Visual Servoing
Dynamic System Modeling
Real-Time Control Implementation

Software

MATLAB
Python
C++
Linux · Git
Computer Vision (MediaPipe, YOLO)
Web Development (React, HTML/CSS)

Design & Manufacturing

III

CAD (SolidWorks, Inventor)
CAM & CNC Machining
Manual Mill & Lathe
Additive Manufacturing
FEA · CFD
Design for Manufacturability

Embedded & Electrical

Microcontrollers (Teensy, Arduino)
Sensor Integration & Serial Comms
Wiring & Soldering
Power Systems & Distribution
Flight-Controller Integration (Pixhawk)
Data-Driven Diagnostics (OBD-II)

Leadership & Practice

Project Management
Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Technical Reporting
Safety & Risk Planning
Stakeholder & Sponsor Communication
LaTeX · Excel · Notion

Languages

English
French
Armenian
Arabic
Spanish

«Ἦθος ἀνθρώπῳ δαίμων»

"Character is destiny."

Heraclitus

CV & Contact

Let's build something rigorous.

Open to research collaborations, graduate opportunities, and engineering conversations. Reach out directly or grab the latest CV.