email: dsawant@berkeley.edu
I am an MEng student in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics & Control) at UC Berkeley. My interests sit at the intersection where hardware and software interact - designing and building systems from the ground up.
I have built projects ranging from robot learning pipelines using reinforcement learning and ACT policies, to liquid rocket propulsion systems, digital twins for FDM printers, and autonomous mobile robots. I previously completed my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune, where I published on metamaterials, solid propellants, tribology, and ML-driven materials analysis.
I have worked at the Defence research and Development Organisation in India on state-of-the-art propulsion systems. Also, placed nationally in competitions including the LAM Research Challenge (top 21 of 600+ teams), GI-AI-SC 2025 (1st prize), and NAFED at VSSC ISRO (1st student prize). Outside the lab I enjoy photography, videography, cycling, and films.
Developed a robot learning pipeline using Reinforcement Learning (RL) and ACT policy for adaptive control and robust task execution.
Demonstrated policy behavior and training outcomes through robot trial videos.
Designed and tested a small liquid rocket engine and built a pressure feed system stack for the engine.
Built for LAM Research Challenge 2025. Competed against 600+ teams nationwide.
Designed a robotic manipulator driven by Tuaka cycloidal actuators, with the base, structural links, joints, and end effector modeled in CAD.
2025 — Comparative Analysis on AM Hybrid Strut-Based Metamaterials — Advances in Materials Science
2024 — Prediction of burn rate of AP–HTPB solid propellant using ML — Aerospace Systems
2024 — NSAI-based algorithm for energy absorption in CoCrMo materials — IJIT
2024 — Tribological analysis of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using ML — Frontiers in Materials
