IDIván Díez de los Ríos
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Custom Robotics & Crisis-Response Industrial Automation

Led rapid prototyping efforts for custom robotic actuation and crisis-response industrial automation. I designed digital PID controllers for lightweight robotic arms, automated sewing machinery for emergency COVID-19 PPE manufacturing, and conducted critical data-driven feasibility analyses on a 5-DoF bio-inspired ornithopter.

IDDLR
Written by Iván Díez de los Ríos
Institution GRVC-US
Role Electronics & Hardware Automation Engineer
Posted on 2026-04-24
Custom Robotics & Crisis-Response Industrial Automation

Case Study: Custom Robotics & Crisis-Response Industrial Automation (GRVC)

1. Executive Summary

A multifaceted R&D role focused on rapid prototyping and custom hardware design. Key projects included developing full-custom actuation for lightweight robotic arms, engineering a bio-inspired UAV (ornithopter) with IMU stabilization, and rapidly automating industrial sewing machinery to accelerate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) production during the COVID-19 crisis.

2. The Challenge

This period required extreme versatility across very different operational realities. The challenges ranged from creating highly precise, lightweight custom actuation from scratch, to pushing the physical limits of bio-inspired flight control, and responding to urgent real-world supply chain crises by quickly retrofitting traditional manufacturing equipment for emergency medical supplies.

3. My Role & Execution

  • Crisis-Response Automation (COVID-19): Led the electronics and interface design to automate industrial sewing machines. This project directly supported the rapid scaling of PPE manufacturing during the pandemic.
  • Custom Actuation Design: Designed and implemented digital PID controllers with trapezoidal motion profiles for a full-custom servo motor, specifically targeted for use in lightweight robotic arms where off-the-shelf solutions were inadequate.
  • Bio-Inspired UAV (Ornithopter) Prototyping: Engineered a 5-DoF servo-based ornithopter (4-DoF for wing actuation + tail control). Integrated an IMU and developed the control algorithms to stabilize the aircraft and successfully resolve complex lateral control issues during aerial testing.
  • Data-Driven Feasibility Analysis: Evaluated the ornithopter’s flight telemetry against real-world ornithology data. Analyzed the trade-offs between maneuverability, wing-size-to-weight ratios, and servo actuation limits to assess the system’s mechanical viability.

4. The Impact & Deliverables

  • Emergency Manufacturing: Successfully delivered functional automation electronics under tight time constraints, contributing to critical PPE production efforts.
  • Robotics Hardware Development: Created a viable, custom digital controller foundation for lightweight robotic articulation.
  • Strategic “Go/No-Go” Technical Assessment: Proved through empirical data and cross-disciplinary research that the selected servo hardware could not support the necessary wing surface for stable flight without compromising maneuverability. This provided critical, data-backed R&D insights, demonstrating when to pivot or halt a design rather than pushing a non-viable physical architecture.
  • Publication: Winged Aerial Robot: Modular Design Approach

5. Projects