# Jennifer Nguyen

> Software Engineer at Intrinsic

Location: Mountain View, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/jennifernguyen

Passionate about software, robotics, and the environment. Robotics provides a means where diverse groups of people work together to accomplish a goal. Applications include planetary exploration rovers, robotics in marine environments, and automated agriculture (e.g., robotic pollination).

## Work Experience
### Software Engineer @ Intrinsic
Jan 2023 – Present | Mountain View, California, United States

### Software Engineer @ Open Robotics
Jan 2020 – Jan 2023 | Mountain View, California, United States

### Graduate Research Assistant @ West Virginia University
Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | Morgantown, WV
Masters student for West Virginia University (WVU) Interactive Robotics Laboratory (IRL):

- Worked on BrambleBee, an autonomous pollination robot (https://youtu.be/66isrgth7-Q)
   -- ROS programming in C++
   -- Manipulation maneuvers using MoveIt! Library for Kinova® Jaco Arm
      --- Using Intel® RealSense D435's point cloud, loaded into an Octomap server for obstacle avoidance
      --- Pose estimation for a custom end-effector (eye-in-hand configuration) using ArUco markers & a Kalman filter to update its pose during motion
          ---- Transferred to work with artificial & real flowers
      --- Solved inverse kinematics using TRACK-IK library
      --- Implemented solution for a form of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) by finding trajectory minimizing required motion to visit all reachable flowers
      --- Robotic Pollination of QR Flowers: https://youtu.be/0t7t8AScZSE
      --- BrambleBee Robot Pollinating a High-Fidelity Artificial Plant: https://youtu.be/ZbgtP9CHycA
   -- Updated & created URDF models & plugins for Gazebo simulation
   -- Publications: 
      --- https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.09294
      --- https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.10010

- ROS camera streaming between onboard robotic computer & remote desktop

- Implemented autonomous obstacle avoidance, navigation, & semi-autonomous box-pushing (https://youtu.be/pOuQqRNq_zs) on Turtlebot3 Waffle Pi

- Use of Vicon motion capture for robotics ground truth pose

- Participating in University Rover Challenge 
   -- Using IRL's mobile robot Pathfinder
      --- Low-level control of actuators for driving
      --- Executed autonomous GPS waypoint navigation, obstacle avoidance using Leddar sensor, & tennis ball detecting using OpenCV (https://youtu.be/POSIFwnitT0)
   -- Mentoring current team & taught programming fundamentals, C++, ROS, & computer vision introduction

- Exploring robotic Reinforcement Learning techniques including Value Iteration, Policy Iteration, & Q-Learning

### Visiting Researcher @ NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Pasadena, CA
Mentored by Rohan Thakker and Co-mentored by Ali-akbar Agha-mohammadi.

- Explored machine learning techniques (specifically Reinforcement Learning (RL) & Meta-RL) for rover to learn terrain dynamics & adapt to unknown terrain
- Applied & tested meta-RL method Gradient-Based Adaptive Learning (GrBAL) described in conference paper, "Learning to Adapt in Dynamic, Real-World Environments Through Meta-Reinforcement Learning"
    - Experimented & evaluated performance (e.g., training time, average return, forward progress)
- Applied & tested meta-learning technique Adaptive Learning for Probabilistic Connectionist Architectures (ALPaCA) from "Meta-Learning Priors for Efficient Online Bayesian Regression"
    - Enhanced simulated RC car in ROS & Gazebo simulator
    - Integrated ALPaCA with novel Bayesian adaptive controller
    - Assessed offline & online performance including training time & prediction accuracy
    - Co-authored "Bayesian Learning-Based Adaptive Control for Safety Critical Systems", primarily in ALPaCA integration and results: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9196709

### Research Assistant Internship @ West Virginia Robotic Technology Center (WVRTC)
Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | Fairmont, WV
- Implemented algorithm described in conference paper, "A High-Accuracy Visual Marker Based on a Microlens Array," for pose enhancement using a visual marker
   -- Analyzed virtual performance assessing pose estimation error

- Compiled literature review on visual SLAM for WVRTC team
   -- Researched & evaluated different open source visual SLAM algorithms

- Analyzed Raspberry Pi 3's performance with ROS & image processing

- Implemented algorithm to detect custom outer border containing embedded inner visual marker

### Undergraduate Research Assistant, Software Developer @ WVU Center for Neuroscience
Jan 2014 – Jan 2017
- Part of software Neuroscience team working on creating neuron models for immersive, 3D visualization experience

- Developed software for interacting with models in desktop application & virtual reality headgear HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
    -- Involved in planning, modeling, set up, & testing
    -- Lead developer of cross-platform front-end manager application using JavaScript, HTML & CSS, JQuery, AngularJS, SemanticUI, Three.js, Electron, & Node.js
    -- Contributed to 
        --- Back-end using Python & Django
        --- Virtual reality program using C++
        --- www.syGlass.io website using HTML & CSS, Semantic UI, & BootStrap

- Developed cross-platform Java & JavaFX application to assist lab personnel

- Created YouTube 360 video using Blender & Adobe After Effects (https://youtu.be/imzTPPQ5mH8)

- Enhanced previous virtual environments using Unity & Unreal Engine & Android tablet controller in Android Studio

### Advanced Technical Student Worker @ Information Technology Services (ITS)
Jan 2013 – Jan 2016 | West Virginia University
- Part of University’s first-level computer application support team, focused on resolving faculty related software issues

- Documented solutions using Sharepoint

- Assisted users & support team by pinpointing area of error, including finding & patching bugs & SQL database issues

- Worked on queries for production database using PL/SQL in SQL Developer

- Developed Java & JavaFX desktop application to enhance workflow


## Education
### Master in Mechanical Engineering
West Virginia University

### Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science, Minor Mathematics
West Virginia University


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jennuine-linkedin
- GitHub: https://github.com/jennuine
- Portfolio: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=A93-WlUAAAAJ&hl=en

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Source: https://flows.cv/jennifernguyen
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/jennifernguyen/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-11