Jerry Chen · 陳宏騰

Designed avionics and embedded control systems for a high-power research rocket competing in the NASA Student Launch Challenge. Worked on sensor integration and actuator control while ensuring reliability. Gained hands-on experience with real-world constraints: motor calibration, and safety-critical sequencing.

At the National Taiwan University Autonomous & Soft Robotics Lab, built a multi-fingered robotic hand capable of expressive piano playing. Developed the Teensy firmware, servo torque/angle control loops, and MIDI-to-finger trajectory mapping. Focused on tendon compensation, torque smoothing, and real-time actuation. This was my first deep dive into dexterous manipulation and precise control under mechanical uncertainty.

Co-founded a sustainability project exploring urban hydroponics for food security in regions with limited arable land in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Investigated low-resource hydroponic systems, nutrient cycles, and modular vertical farming setups. Worked with mentors to adapt agricultural engineering principles for dense cities in developing regions.

Led a student-driven initiative supporting rural schools and community programs in Cambodia. Organized education workshops, distributed supplies, and collaborated with local partners to design sustainable, student-run support models. Work centered around cultural exchange, long-term planning, and ethical impact rather than one-off projects.

At ARRC, I focused on early-stage research for reusable rocket systems, working across modeling, simulation, and control. I designed small-scale rocket models in CAD with an emphasis on reusability and stability, and simulated long-duration trajectories using MATLAB and OpenRocket to evaluate performance under different mission profiles. My research centered on Thrust Vector Control (TVC) for reusable launch vehicles, exploring how trajectory optimization could improve efficiency and precision for Low Earth Orbit missions.