SPAN Robotics
SPAN Robotics started as a personal challenge in January 2026: build a real-life WALL-E that picks up litter on its own. I designed and built the prototype from scratch, with a 3D-printed chassis, a servo-driven arm, a Jetson Orin Nano vision stack trained to find trash, and PS5 teleoperation for testing. Partnering with a fellow MID classmate, I turned the robot into a company: an autonomous waste collection system that pairs solar-powered trash stations with rovers and drones to keep outdoor spaces clean and generate environmental data. We pitched SPAN at Wichita State's 2026 Shocker New Venture Competition and won second place.
Where it started: designing the arm and chassis in Fusion.
From first prototype (V0) to the competition build (V1).
The working prototype: servo-driven arm, custom bevel-gear drivetrain, onboard bin, and a vision model that finds litter and picks grasp points.
Teaching the arm: my first ACT policy, trained on about 40 demonstrations from the wrist camera, picking up trash on its own.
Pitching SPAN Robotics at the 2026 Shocker New Venture Competition at Wichita State.
Second place at the 2026 Shocker New Venture Competition.