ESP Biography



JACOB RODRIGUEZ, Robotics Fanatic and Education Advocate!




Major: Aerospace Engineering

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: 2024

Picture of Jacob Rodriguez

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hey guys! My name is Jacob and I'm a current undergraduate student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. I'm currently the software and autonomy lead for a lunar rover project called WORMS, and also the founder of MIT MARS (Mechatronic, Autonomous, and Robotic Systems) Lab. I'm also a student researcher working with NASA JPL and the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems on an awesome self-driving off-road vehicle. Current research interests include multi-agent autonomy networks, manipulation / mobility systems, and path planning for autonomous vehicles, but I also have a strong passion for supporting under-represented students in STEM.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

E15212: Robot in a Day: Full Stack Robotics Engineering in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
Robot in Day is a full comprehensive course on the art of full stack robotics development that will take you on a journey of ideating, designing, building, and coding all types of robots from the ground up the same way MIT and NASA engineers do. No dumbing down, no over-simplification, but rather a full exposure to the guts of what real robotics engineering is. You will learn about Linux, the Robot Operating System (ROS), various microprocessors / computers, mechanism design, controls, manipulation, mobility systems, simulation, perception, communication, and multi-agent autonomy all in one 3 hour class. The goal is to give everyone a limited yet deep introduction to all the concepts exercised when designing robotic systems from scratch, in order to create a broad foundation that can easily be built on. You will be exposed to a variety of real robots in-person such as the mini-cheetah, an industrial robotic arm, drones, autonomous racecars, and even a lunar exploration rover. At the end of the course you will have a toolbox necessary to start your own robotics projects and manage them from start to finish!


E15008: Learn Rocket Science With MIT Rocket Team! in Spark 2022 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2022)
You always see the phrase "it's rocket science" thrown around constantly, but when have you actually thought about what that is? In this course, you'll see the real mathematics, physics, and engineering involved with building an ACTUAL rocket engine! No dumbing down, no non-applicative simplifications: just hardcore rocket science taught in a way younger students can understand :)


E14771: Build A Liquid Rocket Engine With MIT Rocket Team! in Splash 2021 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2021)
You always see the phrase "it's rocket science" thrown around constantly, but when have you actually thought about what that is? In this course, you'll see the real mathematics, physics, and engineering involved with building an ACTUAL liquid propellant rocket engine! No dumbing down, no non-applicative simplifications: just hardcore rocket science taught in a way high schoolers can understand. Join us :)


X14083: Shooting for the Stars: Applying to a Top College or University as a Minority in HSSP Summer 2020 (Jul. 11, 2020)
HEY YOU! Yeah, you! If you're a student already searching for courses offered through ESP, chances are, you want to go to college. MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale and all the other big names in American academics - all trying to scare one person: you. But applying to these places should not be intimidating. Taught by incoming, first-generation, MIT freshmen, this whole course is meant to give you the necessary tools, insights, and confidence needed to apply to such schools and give you the best chance at getting accepted! Trust us, since we were in your shoes not too long ago we know a thing or two.