🦿 Overview

At Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the Robotics Engineering team was developing next-generation prosthetic limbs—devices that used pattern recognition algorithms to infer a user’s intended movement and actuate motors accordingly. These weren’t passive limbs—they were intelligent systems, designed to interpret human intent in real time.

While I wasn’t the primary engineer on the project, I joined the Electrical Engineering team during a critical phase to support embedded Linux development and help keep the project on track. My contributions helped maintain build consistency across prototype boards and streamline the development process during high-stakes testing and integration.

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🎯 Objectives

The overall goal of the project was to build prosthetic limbs—both an arm and a leg—that could:

• Interpret real-time biosignal input using AI classifiers,
• Control motorized joints using embedded Linux and real-time control loops,
• Communicate via a CAN-based middleware layer, and
• Function reliably under daily use by clinical test subjects.

My job was to support the embedded side of the stack and help the core team accelerate their integration efforts.

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⚙️ What I Contributed

• Embedded Linux Tooling:
  • Assisted in flashing Linux images to prototype boards.
  • Ensured consistency in software setup across multiple hardware test units.
  • Troubleshot flashing failures and resolved hardware-software mismatches.
• Bash Automation:
  • Wrote shell scripts to automate repetitive tasks during firmware flashing and configuration.
  • Reduced setup time for new boards and standardized the developer experience.
• Low-Level Software Support:
  • Contributed to C++ and Python utilities used for real-time system testing and hardware interface validation.
  • Participated in debug sessions to diagnose communication issues on the CAN bus middleware.
• Cross-Disciplinary Integration:
  • Worked alongside mechanical and biomedical engineers to test and verify motion behavior across hardware subsystems.
  • Helped synchronize development across firmware, control, and physical actuation layers.

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✅ Outcome

The project culminated in a working prosthetic leg system capable of responding to user input in real time. My contributions, while scoped to infrastructure and integration, helped keep the engineering workflow stable and efficient during crucial phases of development.

Through this project, I gained hands-on experience with embedded Linux, real-time communication protocols, and prosthetic systems that blend AI, hardware, and human physiology. It also helped solidify my transition from mechanical to embedded to full software engineering, and deepened my appreciation for the complexity of building biomedical robotics systems that people rely on every day.

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