Daniel Twining

Hey, I’m Dan, a fourth year dual robotics engineering and mathematics major at Lake Superior State University. So far I have been the most interested in mobile robotics. Through a student organization at LSSU I have participated in three international maritime robotics competitions, which has furthered my understanding of that field.

I have a strong background programming with C/C++, ROS, Arduino, and MATLAB, and also hands-on experience with industrial Fanuc and KUKA manipulators. I am proficient in CAD software such as Onshape, Fusion 360, and Creo Parametric, and have honed my skills with 3D printing and have several years of experience manufacturing custom parts. My skillset is completed with the ability to write comprehensive technical documentation and an interest in the mathematical foundations of engineering.

Education

B.S. Robotics Engineering & Mathematics

August 2021 - May 2026 School of Engineering and Technology, School of Mathematics and Computer Science Lake Superior State University

Study Abroad Program

June 2023 - July 2023 International Summer School University of Galway

Internships

Fall Engagement Remote Intern

November 2024 - December 2024 Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific

  • Developed a data pipeline to quickly visualize data from ros2bags as graphs

Campus and Community

September 2023 - Present Academic Success Center Lake Superior State University

  • Tutored students at a drop-in math center in classes from college math up to calculus

  • Tutored students in general, robotics, and electrical engineering classes, with an emphasis on programming

Tutor

August 2023 - February 2024 Laker Success Lake Superior State University

  • Provided students with resources and coaching to help them succeed in school and life

Peer Mentor

April 2022 - Present Soo Theatre Project, Inc.

  • Oversaw technical production of theatrical shows and ran them as an audio or lighting tech

  • Taught principles of lighting and audio to high school students

Theater Tech

December 2021 - Present Autonomous Maritime Operations and Robotics Engineering Lake Superior State University

  • Elected Vice President for the 2024/25 academic year

  • Developed autonomous vehicles to operate in the maritime domain

  • Collaborated with universities across three continents to compete in international robotics competitions

Engineering Club Member

October 2021 - Present Athletics Administration Lake Superior State University

  • Operated cameras and replay equipment

  • Managed livestreams of DI hockey games

Athletics A/V Student

Scholarships and Grants

2023 - 2024 LSSU Robotics Scholarship $2000

2022 LSSU Undergraduate Research Grant $500

2021 - 2025 LSSU Board of Trustees Distinguished Scholarship $20,000

Awards

Fall 2023 Dean’s List LSSU

March 2023 Finalist 2023 RoboBoat

November 2022 3rd in Technical Documentation 2022 RobotX Challenge

November 2022 Partnership and Collaboration Award 2022 RobotX Challenge

Events

May 6 - 9, 2024 Exhibitor, LSSU Automate Chicago, IL

March 14 - 16, 2024 Robot Inspector FIRST Robotics Competition LSSU District Event Sault Ste Marie, MI

September 20 - 22, 2023 Attendee Smart Ships Coalition Fall Workshop Traverse City, MI

May 22 - 23, 2023 Show Floor Visitor Automate Detroit, MI

March 22 - 28, 2023 Competitor, Team AMORE 2023 RoboBoat Competition Sarasota, FL

November 11 - 17, 2022 Competitor, Team AMORE 2022 International Maritime RobotX Challenge Sydney, Australia

July 19, 2022 Exhibitor, Team AMORE U.S.C.G. Response Equipment Deployment and Demonstration Rogers City, MI

Documentation

Sailing into the Future: An Autonomous Maritime System for the 2024 RobotX Challenge D. Twining, C. Jannetta, J. Besonen, Z. Kassuba, Dr. I. E. Sarda. Robonation, 2024.

Design and Development of an Autonomous Kayak for the 2023 Roboboat Competition H. Brood, D. Twining, C. Wilson, A. Heiny, Dr. I. E. Sarda. Robonation, 2023.

Lectures

Modeling Mobile Robots Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. September 24, 2024.

The Futurama Theorem Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. April 3, 2024.

Timbre: Exploring the Acoustics of Music Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. January 24, 2024

Rhythm = {n | n ∈ ♪} Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. November 15, 2023.

Sound ∩ Math = Music Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. October 11, 2023.

An Introduction to Modeling Robotic Manipulators in 2D Talk Math 2 Me, Lake Superior State University. January 25, 2023.