Michael Lo Russo
Final year Mechatronics Engineering student at UNSW.
I like to build things.
About Me
Who I Am
I'm a final-year Mechatronics Engineering student at UNSW. I like to build things, and once that included an entire house with my father. That project taught me how to manage real deadlines, coordinate tradespeople, and back myself on problems I'd never solved before.
Before engineering I played semi-professional football, which gave me the discipline and team mindset I bring to every project. I currently work at Samsung, which has sharpened my ability to work with people and solve problems quickly.
Outside of work I hit the gym, go for runs, play video games, and relax with family.
Projects
A selection of engineering and hands-on projects I've built.
Technical Projects
Micromouse Maze Navigation Robot
Autonomous maze-solving robot navigating a 3.6 × 2.4 m arena in under 90 seconds. Integrated LiDAR, IMU, and wheel encoders with BFS path planning and PID control. Top-3 competition finish.
Rubik's Cube Solving Robot
5-axis robotic manipulator that physically solves a scrambled Rubik's Cube. Details coming soon.
Custom Cooling Funnels for PC Hardware
Designed and 3D-printed ducted airflow funnels across 3 design iterations. Achieved 7°C reduction in GPU temperatures under full load.
UR5e Robotic Writing System
Programmed a UR5e industrial robot for autonomous handwriting, pick-and-place, and orientation adjustment using MATLAB and the RTDE interface. Developed trajectory planning for smooth pen lifts and legible output.
Cat Door Monitoring System
IoT system built on ESP32 with break-beam sensors. Detects and logs cat movement, sending real-time Telegram push notifications — complete end-to-end embedded and cloud pipeline.
Hands-On Builds
Residential Construction & Renovation
Full residential build completed alongside engineering degree. Structural framing, roofing, plumbing, and electrical from foundation to finish. Managing real deadlines, tradespeople, and physical work while keeping up with coursework built resilience no classroom could.
Custom Watch Build
Sourced and hand-assembled individual components around Seiko NH35 movement. Precision assembly requiring dust-free environment, component compatibility verification, and steady hands for hand-setting.