Sergio Zapata Velásquez

Senior Mechatronics Engineering Manager

Colombia

About

Senior Mechatronics Engineer with 10+ years of experience designing and delivering complex robotic systems, including 5 years of scaling hardware in a fast-paced startup from early prototypes to near production. Deeply passionate about humanoid and human-centric robotics, with a strong track record in precision mechanism design, full product lifecycle execution, and safe human–robot interaction. Proven leader of globally distributed teams, combining hands-on technical depth with pragmatic execution under ambiguity. Experienced in building robust, manufacturable robotic platforms that balance performance, cost, and reliability.

Experience

  • Clutterbot (6 yrs)
    • Senior Mechatronics Engineering Manager
      Jul 2021 - Present · 5 yrs

      As the manager of the mechatronics team, I am primarily responsible for the robot's mechanical design, its mechanisms, and the integration of sensors, electronics, and other components.

    • Senior Mechatronics Engineer
      Jul 2020 - Jul 2021 · 1 yr 1 mo

      As one of the first mechatronics engineers at Clutterbot, I was primarily responsible for the design of innovative robot prototypes, establishing the collection mechanisms, kinematics, and architecture still in use.

  • Research Engineer at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana - Colombia
    Jun 2017 - Jul 2020 · 3 yrs 2 mos

    In this research group I was involved in two robotic projects for the rehabilitation of lower limbs in humans, the most relevant being the exoskeleton leg system called Nukawa. • Developed electromechanical and safety tests to validate the exoskeleton's performance, reliability, and readiness for human trials, leading to an improvement plan. • Selected and integrated sensors and components into the robotic rehabilitation system. • Programmed joint sequences in C++ for various therapies. • Worked on the integration of the electromyographic signal detection system using Python for robot control via TCP/IP. • Developed a fuzzy PID control for the robot using LabVIEW and Maxon EPOS controller. Key achievement: Neural network-based intelligent control with exogenous inputs for robotic rehabilitation system dynamics.

  • Research intern at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana - Colombia
    Jan 2016 - Jan 2017 · 1 yr 1 mo

    In this position I led a humanoid robot project focused on bipedal locomotion testing • Designed and developed a 56-degree-of-freedom humanoid robot. • Worked on prototyping each part of the robot, including 3D printing of components. • Conducted 3D physics simulations in V-REP for gait analysis and overall robot control. • Developed an open-loop control system to achieve stable bipedal locomotion. Key achievement: Development of a humanoid robotic platform that successfully demonstrated bipedal locomotion, laying the foundation for this type of development within the research group.