18/08/2026
From Mechatronics System Design to Robotics Research
Our Mechatronics System Design course project became much more than just building a robotic arm.
Project title: “Performance Evaluation of a Teleoperated Robotic Arm Using Different Communication Protocols Based on Latency and Task Efficiency Metrics.”
The night before our presentation, an incorrect battery polarity connection burned 4 servo motors and 1 ESP32. At the same time, our slides were still incomplete.
We had very little time, but we rebuilt the system, completed the testing, finished the presentation, and presented the project successfully.
That night taught me: Pressure doesn't always stop us; sometimes it reveals our ability to solve problems under pressure.
As team leader, I also tried to introduce an industrial-style workflow; Git/GitHub collaboration, task distribution, code contribution, testing, debugging, and teamwork.
I'm especially grateful to our course teacher Rumana Tasnim, who continuously encourages us to build robotics projects instead of limiting ourselves to theory. After the presentation, she encouraged us to develop this work further and prepare an IEEE conference paper.
For me, that's the real value of a good teacher: not just teaching a course, but creating the confidence to become an engineer and researcher.
To fellow students: Don't be afraid when your project fails. Fix it, learn from it, and build again. Every failure is part of your engineering experience.
The Real Lesson
The most valuable part of this project wasn't just making the robotic arm work. It was learning how to continue when things don't work.
Build → Fail → Debug → Learn → Improve → Build Again
We enjoyed the project, although there were definitely moments of pressure and fear, especially when hardware started burning the night before the presentation. 😅
But those moments are also part of becoming an engineer.
And yes...
Next time, we are checking battery polarity twice. 😄
🔗 Project & GitHub: https://github.com/rajib-mte/teleoperated-robotic-arm-performance-metrics.git