Sam Schoedel

sschoedel@cmu.edu     /     CV (last updated June 2024)     /     GitHub
prof_pic.jpg

I am a master’s student at Carnegie Mellon studying robotics with my advisor, Zac Manchester. I did my undergrad in computer engineering with a concentration in controls and autonomy at Virginia Tech, where I worked with Alexander Leonessa building legged robots.

I’ve interned at ModalAI, HaptX, and JPL developing visual-inertial odometry algorithms, force-feedback robotic arms, and writing communication software for lunar rovers. I’ve spent the past few years developing high-speed model-predictive controllers as a member of the Robotic Exploration Lab.

Research


  1. pixels-to-torques.png
    From Pixels to Torques with Linear Feedback

    Jeong Hun Lee, Sam Schoedel, Aditya Bhardwaj, and Zachary Manchester

    Workshop on Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR), 2024
    In review

  2. ConicTinyMPC.png
    Code Generation for Conic Model-Predictive Control on Microcontrollers with TinyMPC

    Sam Schoedel*, Khai Nguyen*, Elakhya Nedumaran, Brian Plancher, and Zachary Manchester

    IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2024
    In review

  3. TinyMPC.gif
    TinyMPC: Model-Predictive Control on Resource-Constrained Microcontrollers

    Khai Nguyen*, Sam Schoedel*, Anoushka Alavilli*, Brian Plancher, and Zachary Manchester

    In IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2024
    Received Best Paper Award in Automation. Nominated for Best Conference Paper Award and Best Student Paper Award

  4. squeaky2.jpg
    Development of an Affordable and Modular 3D Printed Quadruped Robot

    Sam Schoedel*, Alex Fuge*, Bhaben Kalita, and Alexander Leonessa

    In International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), 2022

Projects


  1. cartpole.gif
    Cart Pole

    An underactuated cart pole built from common 3D printer parts and a brushless motor. Built as a TA for 16-745, Optimal Control and Reinforcement Learning at CMU and used for various projects in the Robotic Exploration Lab.


  2. motor-controller.jpg
    Brushless Motor Controller

    A compact and open source brushless DC motor controller with CAN support that runs an ESP32 microcontroller with a TMC6200 motor driver.

More projects coming soon