Robotics · Simulation · Embedded

Zi Tao Dylan Li

I’m exploring robot learning and embedded systems, aiming to eventually build robots that assist with everyday chores and industrial tasks.

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Projects

A selection of projects I've worked on. Each video gives a quick demo — I'm happy to dive into the implementation details during an interview.

Tactile VLA for Robot Manipulation

Simulation · Tactile sensing · Vision-Language-Action

November 2025 - Present

Using simulated tactile data as a proxy for a CoinFT sensor, then training a Vision-Language-Action model to improve contact-rich manipulation with limited real-world data.

Quadruped Locomotion

Isaac Lab · RL · Contact dynamics

April 2025 - Present

Training different walking policies for a quadruped in simulation, with custom reward shaping and metrics based on contact timing, stability, and traversal.

BRAVO Robotic Arm

Sensor fusion · Embedded · Wearable interface

March 2025

A wearable device that captures human motion through sensors and maps it to real-time robot control, enabling intuitive human–robot interaction.

Piper Arm Manipulation

Isaac Lab · Motion planning · Computer vision

Sep 2025 - Oct 2025

Dual-arm platform for manipulation, combining teleoperation data, custom IK tooling, and reinforcement learning policies to perform structured tasks.

Wall-Epsilon

Computer vision · Embedded · Mobile robot

May 2025 - June 2025

A fully designed physical mobile robot built from custom CAD, integrating sensors, motor encoders, and embedded control for accurate navigation. The robot uses computer vision to locate targets, knock them down, and autonomously deliver objects back to the home base.

Ping Pong Picker Robot

Computer vision · PyBullet · Mobile robot

March 2025 - April 2025

A simulation-based mobile robot system that uses computer vision to detect ping pong balls, computes target poses in PyBullet, and performs autonomous path planning to navigate and collect balls.

Contact

Want to chat about robotics, embedded systems, or any of these projects?