Jakub Tomasz Kaminski
A Robotics Software Engineer at Tormach Inc, I work on robot control R&D and autonomous robotic manipulation for manufacturing and metal processing tasks. I am a graduate of Robotics Engineering MS Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA, USA and a Fulbright Program alumnus. I live in Boston, MA.
Other work experience includes design and control of medical and surgical manipulators, with OpenSurgical™ manipulator being a micro-startup I co-founded in 2022. Previously, I worked on methods for autonomous and tele-operated robotic medical ultrasound using 3D vision, force sensing, and imaging data.
While at WPI, I worked at the Medical FUSION Lab where I developed my MS Thesis project titled “Robotic System for Diagnostic Lung Ultrasound”. It was awarded 1st place in the WPI GRIE 2021 research competition in the Robotics Engineering MS-PhD category. I was advised by Professor Haichong Kai Zhang and funded by the Fulbright Program Scholarship, the NIH, the WPI Dean of Graduate Studies Scholarship, and the Dr. Glenn Yee Scholarship. Prior to joining WPI, I received my MS in Automatic Control and Robotics and BSc in Mechatronics from the Poznan University of Technology, Poland; I performed internships at the Signal and Image Processing Lab at Technion IIT in Israel, and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, TU Dresden in Germany.
Selected Projects
Jakub Kaminski, Alicja Kaminska
Open Surgical is 17-DoF robotic system we develop to democratize robotic surgery training and spur AI surgical robotics research. We believe that this can be achieved with affordable hardware that offers carefully selected subset of features of clinically-approved surgical systems, at a fraction of their cost. Work in progress. [Limited project preview]
C++ | ROS | Gazebo | MATLAB | Eigen | SolidWorks | Motion Control | Prototyping | Manufacturing Management
Jakub Kaminski
A forward & analytical inverse kinematics simulation and trajectory generation of a 27 DoF Vicarious Surgical manipulator. Real-time kinematics solver performance (30us per cycle). Features a hierarchy of 4 nested motion generators. Robot 3D CAD and URDF modeled using publicly-available presentations of the Vicarious system. The beginning of my robotsim.org online robot simulator project.
C++ | MATLAB | CMake | Eigen | Motion Control | JavaScript | ThreeJS | React | Emscripten
Jakub Kaminski
In the MS Thesis project at WPI, I developed a 6-DoF robotic manipulator and control methods for intrinsically-safe lung ultrasound. I used 3D vision, surface-based feed-forward control, force feedback, and user input to teleoperate the device achieving 0.4N force tracking accuracy. [Limited project preview]
See Project Page
ROS | C++ | Docker | Sphinx | MATLAB | Motion Control | SolidWorks
Continuum Robot Simulation | ROBOTSIM.ORG
Jakub Kaminski
A forward & iterative inverse kinematics simulation of a multi-segment continuum robot modeled with constant-curvature tubes.
C++ | MATLAB | CMake | Eigen | Motion Control | JavaScript | ThreeJS | React | Emscripten
Jakub Kaminski
For my Mechatronics BSc project at the Poznan University of Technology in Poland, I designed, built, and controlled a 3-DoF linear delta manipulator for fast pick and place operations. The robot achieved 2m/s end-effector speed and 70 operations per minute with a magnetic gripper.
SolidWorks | ROS | C++ | MATLAB | Motion Control
Jakub Kaminski
I used 3D vision data and force control to autonomously capture thyroid ultrasound data with a Franka Emika Panda robot. The system achieved 0.5N force tracking accuracy and an average cross-correlation 0.8 coefficient between the corresponding ultrasound images of subsequent examinations.
Verasonics Ultrasound | ROS | SolidWorks | MATLAB
Jakub Kaminski
I detected and characterized 1-DoF kinematic structures in rotary and linear motion by using motion-based RGBD background removal techniques, pinhole camera model and 3D point cloud processing. I validated the method on datasets collected with the Kinect 2 camera.
C++ | OpenCV | PCL | Eigen
Point Cloud Registration of Objects with Changing Geometries Jakub Kaminski, Thomas Dieterle
Benchmarking user sculpting skills with 3D scanning and point cloud processing techniques
LEGO Bricks Detection and Classification in Variable Lighting Conditions Jakub Kaminski
Classified brick assemblies to 31 types and achieved over 85% classification accuracy
Simple OpenGL Game with Vision-based User Input Jakub Kaminski
Developed a spacecraft-based game with 3DoF visual marker-based user control
C++ | OpenCV | OpenGL | Matlab | 2D&3D Vision | Arduino
PrintedPaw – 3D Printed Pet Prosthetics (IN PROGRESS)
Jakub Kaminski
In this ongoing volunteer project I am creating a partial front limb prosthesis for a dog using a casting process, 3D scanning, 3D CAD modeling and 3D printing. I am currently working on the third design iteration.
3D Scanning | SolidWorks | 3D Printing
Work Experience
Tormach Inc. | Madison, WI | Jan 2023 – Present
Robotics Software Engineer
- Robot control R&D and autonomous robotic manipulation for CNC machining tasks
OpenSurgical Robot | Brookline, MA | Jan 2022 – Present
Co-founder, Robotics Engineer
- Developed a surgical robotic manipulator that is accessible, easy to maintain, and compatible with DaVinci tools.
- Solved kinematics and dynamics of the robot (17-DoF). Integrated a 1kHz real-time motion control using C++ and ROS. Teleoperated with a VR device. Achieved >90% success rate at picking grains of rice
- Designed 200+ robot parts in SolidWorks. Managed prototype production. Explored user needs with 3 clinicians.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA | Sept 2020 – Oct 2021
Research Assistant, Medical Robotics
- Designed and built a 6 DoF robotic arm for teleoperated COVID-19 lung ultrasound imaging.
- Developed force-compliant surface motion algorithms an real-time controlled the robot.
- Achieved 0.4N force control accuracy and 100% lung coverage.
Technion Israel Institute of Technology | Haifa, Israel | Aug – Sept 2016
Student Research Intern, 3D Data Processing
- Developed a 3D scan matching and model accuracy evaluation pipeline using Iterative Pointcloud Registration and MATLAB
- Built a motorized stage for 3D scanning application that used an Intel RealSense camera and Marlin Firmware
- Developed Graphical User Interface of a MATLAB application
Technical University Dresden | Dresden, Germany | Aug – Oct 2015
Student Research Intern, Machine Design
- Designed functional parts of a research-purpose 3D printer using SolidWorks
- Designed components for of a 3-axis milling machine using SolidWorks
- Integrated metrology devices to a CNC control system of a research-use milling machine
Publications
Feasibility of Robot-Assisted Ultrasound Imaging with Force Feedback for Assessment of Thyroid Diseases
Jakub T Kaminski, Khashayar Rafatzand, Haichong K Zhang | Proceedings of SPIE Medical Imaging 2020
Augmented immersive telemedicine through camera view manipulation controlled by head motions
S Gao, Z Ma, R Tsumura, J Kaminski, L Fichera, HK Zhang | Proceedings of SPIE Medical Imaging 2021
Actuated Reflector-Based Three-dimensional Ultrasound Imaging with Adaptive-Delay Synthetic Aperture Focusing
Yichuan Tang, Ryosuke Tsumura Jakub T. Kaminski, Haichong K. Zhang | IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics
Atlas Humanoid Robot control with Flexible Finite State Machines for Playing Soccer
D Catherman, J Kaminski, A Jagetia | Proceedings of IEEE SoutheastCon, March, 2020, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Selected Awards and Scholarships
Fulbright Program, Graduate Student Award | 2018 – 2020
Awarded a 2-year scholarship (~52 000 USD) for graduate studies in the USA.
“The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program of the U.S. government. For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has supported cooperation for the development of science, culture, and interpersonal, as well as inter-institutional relations between the United States and over 160 countries.” [ref]
WPI Graduate Research Innovation Exchange 2021
Won 1st place in Robotics Engineering category (MS-PhD level) for my MS Thesis lung ultrasound project.
“”The annual Graduate Research Innovation Exchange (GRIE) is a poster celebration and competition that highlights the breadth, diversity, and quality of WPI’s graduate research.” [ref]
NSF Innovation Corps | 2019
Awarded a 3-month-long grant (3 000 USD) for researching robotic diagnostic ultrasound product-market fit. Attended 3 conferences and conducted 30 interviews with domain experts.
“The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business or industry requirements and challenges. I-Corps enables the transformation of invention to impact. The curriculum integrates scientific inquiry and industrial discovery in an inclusive, data-driven culture driven by rigor, relevance, and evidence.” [ref]
Poznan University of Technology
Awarded scholarship for the best students (top 10%, 3 times).
Awarded President’s Prize of Distinction for the significant contributions to the Poznan University of Technology Student Community
Leadership & Service
Board Member | Fulbright Association, Massachusetts Chapter | 2021 – present
My volunteering work focuses on promoting the Fulbright Program, co-organizing cultural events for Fulbrighters incoming to Massachusetts, and more recently setting up online infrastructure for fundraising and outreach for the Chapter.
“The Fulbright Association extends the Fulbright international exchange into a lifelong experience for U.S. alumni. We connect alumni and friends of the Fulbright program through lifelong learning, collaborative networking, and service projects at home and abroad. Established on February 27, 1977, the Fulbright Association is the U.S. alumni organization of the Fulbright Program, representing 140,000 U.S. alumni – 70 years of Fulbrighters since the program’s inception – and friends of international education.” [ref]
I led the R&D and implementation of a 3D-printed tourniquet project to support Ukraine in 2022. We produced and delivered 1000+ tourniquets in the time of war during the severe shortage of these live-saving devices.
Organizing Committee Member | MedInnovations Conference | 2021
My volunteering work focused on building and maintaining Conference online website, and designing and 3D printing statues for conference speakers and sponsors.
“MedInnovations is a medical conference backed by leading Polish physicians, scientists, innovators and international sponsors including Smith&Nephew, Zimmer Biomet, Synektik, among others. The conference is addressed to medical professionals and engineers interested in medical innovations including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics. In 2021, the conference was hosted at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences and featured 11 plenary speakers, 30 startup presentations, 6 training workshops, and had 300 participants.” [ref, translated]
Volunteer | “Korona Z Głowy“: COVID-19 Response in Poland | 2020
I 3D-printed components of personal protective equipment, and distributed face masks made by local the community for first responders. My other project involved design of a simple prototype of a COVID-19 ventilator.
“Korona z Głowy” is a figurative phrase in the Polish language meaning “to take corona/crown off your head”, and as a metaphor it means to relieve from a burden. “Korona z Głowy” is a volunteering initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic founded by physicians and students in Poland who enabled better medical resource allocation and distribution of voluntarily-made protective equipment to essential workers. [ref, translated]
Member | WPI RHO Beta Epsilon Robotics Honor Society | 2019-2020
My volunteering work included helping study session for undergraduate students and a workshop presenting the basics of Linux.
“Rho Beta Epsilon is the first Honor Society in the world for undergraduate and graduate Robotics Engineering students. The organization acts as a resource for the most passionate of Robotics Engineering students, and aids them in both college and post-college career development.” [ref]
Member | IAESTE Association, Poznan University of Technology | 2015-2018
My volunteering work included fundraising and securing industrial partners for the IAESTE Student Exchange Program in Poland.
“IAESTE A.s.b.l. is an association of national committees representing academic, industrial and student interests. We serve 3500+ students, 3000 employers and 1000 academic institutions through career-focused professional internships abroad, social and intercultural reception programmes, international networking and other career and employer branding activities in more than 80 countries worldwide.” [ref]
Project Coordinator | IAESTE CaseWeek 2016 in Poznan, Poland
I managed a team of 20 volunteers organizing a 3-week-long case-study training event with Samsung, Mitsubishi Electric, P&G, Mondelez, Imperial Tobacco, B&R, and others. We arranged the entire logistics and outreach of 26 engineering workshops for over 500 students with attendance above 95%
“CaseWeek is the largest and fastest growing case-study based workshops in Poland. This project is created by the IAESTE Polska, during which students can face practical problems encountered on a daily basis in industry, IT sector, or even in medicine. Taking part in the so-called. „Case study”, during a series of workshops organized by employers from the region. The main purpose of the CaseWeek event is to enrich the creativity and competence of students.” [ref]
Scout, Scout Leader | Polish Scouting and Guiding Association | 2005-2010
Leading and educating a team of 15 boy scouts, building camp infrastructure, organizing trips and terrain games, engaging in survival activities
“ZHP mission is to educate young people, that is to support them in their full development and character formation by posing challenges.” “ZHP is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).” [ref]
Miscellaneous
Integration of a 3-Axis CNC Milling Machine & Hobby Machining
I retrofitted an Isel CNC router with a new LinuxCNC control system and machined several components for my projects; In this project, I used Fusion360 CAM, LinuxCNC, and CNC Machining.
RepRap MendelMax 1.5 Printer
I built my Reprap 3D printer in 2012 and made a custom closed chamber for printing ABS. I used this printer for prototyping several components for my robotics projects (before switching to Prusa MK3s+).
Electric Bicycle Conversion
I retrofitted my bicycle with a 1kW Direct Drive BLDC motor and a 48V 750Ah LiFePO4 battery. The bicycle achieved 43km/h top speed and range between 35-60 km.
Pro-bono Student Mentoring
I am happy to provide any help I can regarding your career, especially if you belong to an underrepresented group in STEM. You can schedule a call with me here. We can discuss anything: applications to grad schools, scholarships, engineering topics, international student life in the US, and so on. This initiative is inspired by Matheus Gadelha.