Raghavendra
Jadhav
I build robotic systems end to end — the structure, the circuit boards, and the control that ties them together. From combat arenas and Robocon fields to cryogenic LPG terminals.
Profile
I hold a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, paired with a minor in Electronics & Communication — a combination that lets me move fluently between a robot's structure, its custom electronics, and its control loops.
Over four years I led teams of up to 40 people to take competition robots from a blank page to the arena: four-wheel holonomic drives, flywheel launchers, combat weapon systems, and the custom PCBs and encoder–IMU odometry that make them autonomous. Two of those efforts became filed patents.
Today I apply that same end-to-end discipline to large-scale infrastructure as a site engineer at BPCL, and I'm working toward graduate research in robotics.
Selected Work
Basketball-Playing Robots
ABU Robocon 2025 · NITK SurathkalTwo human-scale robots built to play a 2v2 basketball match, with holonomic drive, encoder–IMU odometry, and a custom PCB architecture.
Autonomous Mobile Robots for Object Manipulation
ABU Robocon 2024 · NITK SurathkalFour-wheel holonomic robots that navigate waypoints, pick conduits, kick footballs, and sort objects autonomously using computer vision.
GNARLY — 15 kg Combat Robot
Engineer '23 · NITK's first combat programFounded NITK's first combat robotics program and built one of India's few 4WD combat robots in the 15 kg class — a vertical bar spinner.
Ring-Shooting Holonomic Robots
ABU Robocon 2023 · NITK SurathkalTwo three-wheel holonomic robots for omnidirectional navigation, ring collection, and precision shooting at multiple target heights.
Pharma Bot — Autonomous Delivery
e-Yantra, IIT Bombay · Top 16 nationallyAn autonomous medicine-delivery robot using OpenCV perception, ArUco/QR localization, and a CoppeliaSim digital twin. Top 16 nationally.
Experience
Assistant Executive · Site Engineer
- Coordinate mechanical installation, equipment integration, and construction for large-scale LPG infrastructure, ensuring compliance with OISD standards and project schedules.
- Manage design, statutory approvals, and multidisciplinary coordination for four railway overbridges across consultants, contractors, and Central Railways.
- Execute equipment installation, hydrostatic and pneumatic testing, instrumentation hot-loop testing, and pre-commissioning for cryogenic LPG facilities.
- Contributing to a terminal expansion that lifts handling capacity from 1.2 to 3.0 MMTPA.
Manufacturing / Industrial Engineering Intern
- Analysed assembly-line workflow and task sequencing across four motorcycle models to locate bottlenecks.
- Performed time studies and line balancing, redistributing 9.25 minutes of work content across conveyor systems.
- Increased throughput from 360 to 546 vehicles per shift — a 51% improvement — through task reallocation and workload balancing.
Toolkit
Recognition
Patents · Filed
Leadership
- Vice-Captain — CSD Robocon NITKJul 2024 — May 2025Led a 40-member team to ABU Robocon 2025; ran operations, treasury, fundraising, and procurement.
- Co-Founder & Lead — Team GNARLYSept 2023 — May 2025Founded and led a 15-member combat robotics team through design, funding, and inter-university competition.
- Media & Web Head — CSD Robocon NITKJan 2023 — Jul 2024Revamped the team's digital presence, redesigning websites and outreach platforms.
Achievements
- '23·'24·'25ABU Robocon national rounds — qualified all three years, scoring 96 / 95 / 88 out of 100 in Robot Design Documentation.
- 20242nd runner-up, Robowars — VIT Vellore Gravitas 2024, serving as primary robot driver in combat matches.
- 2024Runners-up, Embaddethon 2024 (IEEE NITK) — computer vision and sensor fusion challenge.
- 2023Semi-finalist, IIT Bombay International Robowars — under-15 kg, TECHFEST 2023.
- 2023Runners-up, Robowars — Manipal TECHTATVA '23.
- 2022Winner, Open Innovation Track — Technica '22 national hackathon (ISTE-VIT).
Let's build something
that works when it matters.
Open to graduate research collaborations and robotics conversations. The fastest way to reach me is email.