ABOUT
I graduated from Georgia Tech in December 2024 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Computing & Intelligence (AI/ML). Currently, I am working full-time at SpaceX as a Tower and Mount Engineer and part-time on my startup MyField. Previously, I worked in the Nonlinear Mechanics Lab supervised by Dr. Michael Leamy, and I also participated in the Advanced SLA Printing Lab co-supervised by Dr. Amit Jariwala and Dr. Robert Schwerzel. I was also the BattleBots Project Manager in RoboJackets and Build Director in Science Olympiad @ GT.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Footer module systems for discrete metamaterials structure construction in lunar environments S. Appana, O. Formoso, M. Ochalek, K. Cheung, IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2024
- Process modeling for fluid-interface supported resin printing S. Appana*, S.M. Ross*, C. Sims*, R. Schwerzel, and A.S. Jariwala, Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, 2023, 1321. (Conference Proceedings)
- Establishing controls for top-down stereolithography for supportless and open-air curing. S. Appana*, S. Ross*, A. Jariwala, R. Schwerzel, K. Ge, 2022.
- Using a UR5 robot arm to automate the pruning process of peach trees. S. Appana*, I. Dale*, N. DeRosa*, M. Mehmood*, A. Patino*, L. Stuart*, J. Ying*, A.P. Hu, 2022.
SELECTED PROJECTS
Anxietii - 30lb Combat Robot
Design and construction of a durable 30lb undercutter combat robot for competition in the 2024 National Havoc Robot League (NHRL).
Balancing a Reuleaux Triangle
A project exploring the dynamics and control of balancing a Reuleaux triangular prism on an inherently unstable edge.
Tsunami - 30lb Combat Robot
Design and construction of a 30lb vertical beater bar combat robot for competition in the 2023 National Havoc Robot League (NHRL).
ME 2110 Robot
A competitive robot for ME 2110 designed to complete tasks within a forty-second time period.
Multifunctional Solar Heating Device
A cost-effective solution for transforming solar energy into usable heat energy in equatorial regions to contribute to UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Insaniti - 3lb Combat Robot
A 3-lb combat robot to learn to machine and design metal parts and to compete at the 2022 Motorama Combat Robotics Competition.
Free-Flight Design Implementing Rubber Motors
An ultralight rubber-band powered plane designed in high school to compete in free-flight competitions at state and national FreeFlight Association, Science Olympiad, and TSA competitions.
AWARDS
2024 NHRL Combat Robot Competition: 1st Place April, 3rd Place June, 2nd Place World Championships
As a project manager of combat robotics at Georgia Tech, all three of my 30lb combat robotics teams (Anxietii, Chonkiv, and Tsunamii) qualified for the 2024 World Championship, qualifying from a pool of 159 teams and composing an eighth of the competition. I assisted in designing components and engineering analysis for potential failure modes.
Capstone Design: 2nd Place and Honorable Mention
My team of 6 mechanical engineers conducted a comprehensive customer discovery to identify a problem significantly affecting farmers and agriculture. To solve the selected problem, we developed a computer vision model and a high-speed drone system. We hope to launch our product on myfield.us.
SICPEA (Student Innovation Competition): 1st Place
The competition asks students to use engineering fundamentals to create solutions that promote equity and access in the College community. 2 of my friends and I developed a suite of VR tools for the Oculus Quest that allow students to interact with difficult to visualize 3-D or 4-D (time) concepts.
ME 2110 Summer 2022: 1st Place Design Review and 1st Place Final Competitions
ME 2110 is a class where students build autonomous robots from a blank slate to complete tasks within 40 seconds using an Arduino and several actuators. My team designed and programmed a robot that consistently scored maximum points to beat 20 other teams in both performance and presentation.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
I endured the stressful IB Diploma programme at my high school and excelled in my courses and exams to receive the IB Diploma. The program was crucial in making me a well-rounded student and building knowledge and interpersonal skills.