Rukshan H - Senior Research Engineer

H Rukshan Hettiarachchi

Senior Research Engineer | Embodied AI & Humanoid Specialist

Senior research engineer and robotics architect with 20 years of experience bridging advanced R&D and scalable industrial products. Expert in Embodied AI, Humanoid Robotics, and Autonomous Systems.

Executive Summary

Senior research engineer and robotics architect with 20 years of experience bridging the gap between advanced R&D and scalable industrial products. Proven track record leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver world-first robotic deployments, and building product-ready frameworks that align cutting-edge algorithms with high-stakes business needs.

Core Competencies

Stakeholder & Client Relations Prototype-to-Production Scaling Embodied AI & Agentic Workflows ROS 2 Nav2 & Python Architecture Digital Twins (Isaac Sim & Gazebo) Motion Planning & Control Humanoid & Mobile Manipulation Mechatronic System Integration

Professional Experience

A*STAR

Senior Research Engineer (Autonomous Systems & Humanoids)
August 2019 – Present | Singapore

Humanoid Deployment
Embodied AI Infrastructure
Industrial Automation

Architected the first overseas humanoid deployment for advanced bin manipulation, led an agentic AI skill library program, and delivered full-stack automation solutions for global partners including Rolls-Royce and P&G.

Mak's Place Robotikks

Senior Robotics and Automation Engineer
August 2018 – August 2019 | Singapore

Food-Tech Automation
Hardware Fabrication
Prototype Commercialization

Led end-to-end development of an automated cooking system, designing precision tool changers and hardware, then validating the product in a live restaurant environment.

Seagate Technology International

Equipment Engineering Specialist
November 2007 – August 2017 | Singapore

Precision Robotics
Reliability Engineering
Operational Excellence

Managed calibration and troubleshooting of cleanroom automation robots, developed preventive maintenance protocols, and improved production yields across manufacturing lines.

Research & Technical Projects

Independent Research & Prototyping
Developing autonomous mobile robots and humanoids using ROS 2 Nav2 and custom control frameworks, while managing a personal prototyping lab with multi-material 3D printing and CNC retrofitting.

Selected Publications & IP

Patent: Safety Device for Cars (LK No12929) Mobile Manipulation for Mixed Depalletizing High-Performance Humanoid Manipulation (IEEE 2026) Vanning Devanning System Design (IECON 2023) Multi-Robot Cooperation (ICIEA 2022) Simplified Robot Programming Framework (ICSR 2021)