Yacoub Derradji

Yacoub Derradji

I design, build, and program robotic systems.

Third-year mechatronics and AI systems engineering student. Mechanism design, embedded control, and software, from first principles to working prototypes.

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Sheet
03
Project
Off-Road RC Vehicle Platform
Model
Live 3D: drag to rotate
Program
Mechatronics + AI
BESc, Western University
Year
3rd year
Graduating Apr. 2029
GPA
3.8
Dean's Honour List
Based in
London, ON
Ontario, Canada
Side view of the original clutch with a thin keyed shaft
MR Clutch Actuator for a Robotic HandØ1 mm shaft, keyed couplingLearn more

Selected work

MR Clutch Actuator for a Robotic Hand

A miniaturized planetary-gear magnetorheological (MR) clutch that acts as the per-joint actuator in a fully actuated multi-finger robotic hand. MR fluid gives controllable, smooth torque transfer from a shared motor. The work builds on the squeeze-mode MR clutch concept introduced by Sergey Pisetskiy and Mehrdad R. Kermani at Western; I led the redesign that took it from a failing prototype toward fabrication.

Learn more
Sheet
01
Context
ARM Lab research
Shaft
Ø1 → Ø2 mm
Coupling
Keyway → D-profile

Humanoid Neck Mechanism

The neck for Baker Bot, a torso-up humanoid lecture-assistant robot built by the WE First club. Two servos drive ball-jointed pushrods against a fixed-length rear link, so the head can nod (pitch) and tilt sideways (roll) like a person's. I owned it from first idea to the part on the robot.

Learn more
Sheet
02
Context
Baker Bot · WE First Club
DOF
2 (pitch, roll)
Actuation
2 × 40 kg servo

Off-Road RC Vehicle Platform

A fully custom off-road RC vehicle designed and built from scratch: chassis, drivetrain, steering, suspension, embedded control, and power system, all under strict size and budget limits with no kit or instructions.

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Sheet
03
Context
Personal build
Drivetrain
Modular FWD / 4WD
Control
Arduino + PWM

TTC Flood Rerouting Simulation

My first-year design project for ES 1050 at Western Engineering. The brief was to take on a problem related to flooding or fires and engineer a solution. Our team chose flooding in Toronto and built a simulation that reroutes TTC service around flooded streets. Try it below: click the map to flood an area.

Learn more
Sheet
04
Context
ES 1050 course project
Route
504 King
Data
TTC GTFS + OpenStreetMap

Also built

  • Tendon-Driven Robotic Gripper

    A 3-finger gripper prototype: an adapted open-source finger design for rubber-band and string tendons, with a 3-servo palm and one finger opposing two.

    3D printing, Servo control, Tendon actuation
  • Research Paper Summarizer

    A Python desktop tool that summarizes research papers with an LLM, using a provider-agnostic backend (Ollama or Anthropic API), Pydantic data models, and SQLite storage.

    Python, SQLite, Pydantic
  • CityLaunch

    A Canadian city recommendation system for engineering graduates that combines data from five APIs: Adzuna, GitHub, Statistics Canada WDS, OpenCorporates, and Numbeo.

    Java, REST APIs, UML

Experience

  1. May 2026 - Present

    Research Assistant

    Advanced Robotics & Mechatronics (ARM) Lab, Western University

    • Redesigned a miniaturized planetary-gear MR clutch used as a per-joint actuator in a fully actuated multi-finger robotic hand
    • Traced a torsional shaft fracture and an unmanufacturable keyway to a shared root cause; resolved both with a 2 mm D-profile shaft
    • Produced the full SolidWorks drawing set under ISO 2768-m and ran sourcing across five manufacturing platforms
    Learn more
  2. Oct. 2025 - Dec. 2025

    Planning and Controls Developer

    Western Engineering Autopilot (WEAP)

    • Cut full-system ROS 2/Gazebo simulation startup by ~85-90% (3 min → 30 s) with a structured launch architecture
    • Integrated planning and control packages through coordinated topic publishing and deterministic startup sequencing
    • Extended a Python control console with live velocity control and safe shutdown
  3. Sept. 2024 - Mar. 2025

    Electrical Team Member

    Western Formula Racing (FSAE)

    • Created the tractive system schematic and connector pinouts for the team's electric race car

Leadership

  1. Sept. 2026 - Present

    Mechanical Lead, BotBrawl Combat Robot Team

    WE First Club, Western University

    Lead mechanical design for the club's BotBrawl combat robot

  2. Sept. 2025 - Apr. 2026

    General Member

    WE First Club, Western University

    Designed and built the neck mechanism for Baker Bot, the club's humanoid robot; took part in the Ri3D build

    Learn more

Skills

Mechanical design
SolidWorks (CSWA), Onshape, GD&T, ISO 2768 drawings, DFM, Shaft/coupling & bearing design, Gear trains, 3D printing
Actuation & mechanisms
MR-fluid clutch actuators, Magnetic-circuit reasoning, Linkage design, Tendon actuation, Servo control
Electrical & embedded
Arduino, ESP32, Motor drivers, PWM control, Schematics & pinouts, Soldering
Robotics & simulation
ROS 2, Gazebo, MATLAB, Simulink
Programming
Python, C/C++, Java, SQLite, Git/GitHub

Education

Western University

BESc, Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Dual in AI Systems Engineering

Sept. 2024 - Apr. 2029 (expected)

Awards and certifications

  • Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA)
  • Dean's Honour List, Western University
  • 3rd Place, Western Engineering Competition, Junior Division (Nov. 2025)
  • Top 3 of 72 teams, Ivey Case Competition (Mar. 2025)

Contact

Yacoub DerradjiMechatronic Systems Engineering · AI Systems Engineering · Western UniversityView LinkedIn profile
Email
yderradj@uwo.ca
GitHub
github.com/ycouby77
Based in
London, ON