Cameron Salzberger, B.S., Mechanical Engineering '11; Master of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, 2012

1. What are you working on in your research?

I am integrating the Nao humanoid robot with LTLMoP, a Python-based toolkit for motion planning.  The goal is to command the robot walk and actuate using structured English, rather than a specific programming language.

2. How did you get involved in this project?

I worked for Professor Kress-Gazit over the summer on the iRobot Create.  I enjoyed the work and performed well enough that I was given a more complicated robot to work with this semester.

3. Do you have any advice for other students considering research in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering?

Work on something you’re interested in.  If you don’t know that yet, then ask around the different labs to see what people do that seems fun.  If you like a project, stick to that field.  If you don’t, move on to a different one next semester.

4. Why did you choose to study Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell?

I always knew I wanted to be an engineer, but I knew I wanted to do mechanical after I was exposed to Computer Aided Design (CAD).  Being able to visualize a physical object and translate it to design was always much more intuitive to me than a circuit or a program.  Cornell seemed like they had a good program, so I went for it.

5. What do you do for fun?

I've recently taken up Parkour, a type of athletic movement used to move efficiently past obstacles.  I have been running with the Ithaca Parkour group on weekends.

Where Is Cameron Now? 

I am currently working at MathWorks with the Robotics System Toolbox team.  We are looking to provide the tools and support necessary for robotics engineers to push the limits of their field. Cornell gave me a great grounding in software design and engineering theory.  MAE also allowed me to experience the application of tools, such as MATLAB, to solve various real-world problems.  - May 2017