Hello! My name is Xiatao Sun. I am a graduate student majoring in Robotics in the GRASP (General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception) Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. I received my B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. My research focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence, and game development. Specifically, I am interested in applying machine learning to a variety of robotics problems such as planning and control, improving training efficiency with both traditional and learning-based methods, and utilizing techniques from game development to design visually and physically realistic environments for efficient training and minimization of the Sim2Real gap. I am also interested in incorporating virtual reality into human-robot interaction and exploring the potential of neuromorphic computing methods other than artificial neural networks in robotics.
Currently, I am working on my master's thesis about imitation learning on perception-aware planning for quadrotors under the supervision of Dr. Vijay Kumar. Meanwhile, I am also working on safe autonomous driving using learning-based methods with Dr. Rahul Mangharam.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
- M.S. in Robotics Aug 2021 - May 2023
- GPA: 3.90/4.0
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Philadelphia, PA, USA
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Aug 2017 - May 2021
- GPA: 3.93/4.0
- Honor: Summa Cum Laude, Dean’s Honor List, Member of Tau Beta Pi
Knowledge & Skills
| Knowledge | Robotics, Machine Learning, Game Development, Web Development |
| Programming Languages | C, C++, C#, Python, SQL, MATLAB, HTML, JavaScript |
| Robotics Tools | ROS, CARLA, AirSim, OpenCV, GTSAM, CVAT, Unity Robotics Hub |
| Machine Learning Frameworks | PyTorch, MXNet, ML-Agents, Tensorflow, Rey, Spark ML |
| Game and Simulation Engines | Unity, Unreal Engine 4, MuJoCo, Gym |
| CAD Software | NX Unigraphics, SpaceClaim, Rhino, SolidWorks |
| 3D Modeling Software | Blender, Maya, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter |
| Web Development Tools | Flask, SQLAlchemy, Vue.js, jQuery |
| Language | Mandarin, English |
| Other Technical Skills | Docker, LaTeX, LabVIEW, Lathe, Vertical Drill, Welding, FL Studio, Piano |
Awards & Activities
- Winner of the ITS World Congress 2022 Student Essay and Video Competition
- Student volunteer at 2022 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
- Co-founder and CTO of Qingdao Tian Yi Data Tech Co., Ltd.
- Third prize of the Brain Bee 2020 Brain Challenge (China Division College Section)
- Leader and founder of the Daydreamer Band, registered on Rensselaer Music Association
- Lead artist of Project Rain of Swords in RPI GameFest 2020
- Leader of Team Treectory in 2019 RPI Hackathon