Katja Verkerk

Sam Graham 

What Year(s) did you learn with us?  2020-2021

Accomplishments with the team - 

• Designed MCU logic to drive linear actuators for turret pitch control

• Implemented obstacle detection using ultrasonic sensors

• Contributed to autonomous driving capabilities for competition

• Introduced a Kanban dashboard to improve software task tracking and team agility

Where are you now?

I will be graduating this month with a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. During my studies I have continued developing my engineering skills through coursework and the co-op program.  I have completed six internships at companies like General Dynamics, Nokia, and Tesla, where I have focused on systems software development, particularly in Embedded Linux.  Starting next month, I will be moving to Palo Alto, California, to join Tesla’s Autopilot team full-time. There I will work on the positioning-engine pipeline of Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) platform.

What did it mean to be an Atom Smasher?

Reflecting on my time in Atom Smashers, it is clear to me that this experience played a critical role in defining where I am today. The fond memories of staying late to bring up autonomous driving, and the crunch of preparing for competition will never be forgotten.  Beyond being a tremendous amount of fun, Atom smashers was also an incredible opportunity for me to develop industry level experience in robotics early on. I had the opportunity to solve real world engineering problems alongside a highly motivated team. This experience has opened many doors for me and provided me with a strong foundation that I will always be grateful for.