Robotics & Computer Engineering · UC Santa Cruz · Class of 2027

I design and build autonomous systems, perception and SLAM, and AI-driven software—from thesis research and Formula-style vehicle work to production-minded prototypes built under hackathon deadlines. I care about systems that work in the real world: sensing, embedded stack, and clear interfaces between hardware and software.

Focus: graph SLAM and mobile robots, LLM agents and safety, perception, embedded and FPGA-facing software.

Tools I reach for most: C++, Python, C, Verilog, TypeScript/JavaScript; ROS 2, PyTorch, OpenCV, CUDA; Git, Linux, Docker, SolidWorks.

Portfolios: Software & projects → preetkaria.vercel.app · Hardware & physical builds → preetkariaportfolio.vercel.app

• Senior thesis (DiffyBot): Graph SLAM for a differential-drive robot; RealSense depth + IR. Lab work: ASL — differential drive robot. Thesis repo (filling in): KariaP/thesis.
• Formula Slug (FSAE Electric): Ergonomics and depth estimation toward autonomous cone detection. formulaslug.com · GitHub org (some repos may be private).
• NVIDIA Hackathon @ UCSC: Organizing the May 2026 on-campus event.

A few recent first-place / winner builds (not an exhaustive list):

• Sentinel — agent safety and voice-gated approvals — AGI Hackathon.
• Onboardly — AI onboarding and realtime coaching — CalHacks.
• Loomin — notes and lectures → live 3D physics simulations — NVIDIA hackathon · public sandbox: LoominPhysicsSandbox.

More submissions and context: Devpost.

• Sentinel — AI agent safety / approvals.
• Onboardly — Onboarding and training copilot.
• Learnify — Notes → flashcards, quizzes, study plans.
• AutoOps — Detect, diagnose, and remediate cloud failures.
• cleandata — AI data cleaning and normalization.
• LoominPhysicsSandbox — Loomin simulation stack (see Devpost).

UCSC GitLab (CruzID may be required)

• DiffyBot / mobile robot: ASL — differential drive robot.
• Thesis workspace: KariaP/thesis.
• Grip It (ECE 167): grip_it — haptic gloves (may mirror to this GitHub later).
• Cycloidal actuator: Hardware portfolio — preetkariaportfolio.vercel.app.

Outside the lab: 3D printing, tennis, and field-ready robots.

"The best way to predict the future is to build it."