Derek Benham

PhD Student: Computer Engineering

Emphasis in Field Robotics, Perception and Navigation

Contact
Projects
Derek-profile

About

lines

Hello! I'm Derek, a PhD student in the Field Robotics Lab at Brigham Young University. I love working on hands on projects where I can play a part in the development of multiple aspects in a robotic system. In our lab we specialize in perception and mapping algorithms via LiDAR, cameras, and sonars. I'm currently tied up in my program but am interested in internship opportunities in the following summers that can lead to future employment.

Download My Resume

My Skills

lines

C/C++

Python

Embedded Systems

Perception and Navigation

Machine Learning

SLAM

System Development

Computer Vision

Optimization

Research

lines
Front End Developer

Gaussian Process Regression

Currently researching ways we can map and explore with Gaussian Process Regression to minimize map uncertainty in underwater environments

Back End Developer

Dynamic 3D Reconstruction

We're looking at performing 3D reconstruction of plants with UAV imagery. The main assumption of 3D reconstruction is that the world is static, we're trying to remove this assumption as we attempt to reconstruct dynamic objects like plants and trees

Recent Projects

lines

Remote Reef Inspection

We developed and deployed a system to remotely inspect a reef in Hawaii. Click below to see the results!

Robot Watch Dog

For our senior project we got to program and play with Boston Dynamic's Spot!

Self Driving
RC Racer

We programmed a simple self-driving RC car that we raced against our classmates

Visual Odometry

Monocular visual odometry implementation using Sift features on a RC car

Robot Baseball Catcher

Using stereo cameras we estimated the trajectory of a baseball and moved a net to catch the ball.

Receding Horizon

3D receding horizon optimization problem simulated in HoloOcean simulator

Embedded Scoreboard

Over the Covid summer I built a custom embedded scoreboard from scratch using spare parts from a broken TV

Predicting NBA Drafts with ML

We tried to model player efficiency in the NBA based on their college stats.

First Lego League

In high school I coached a FLL team
of kids about STEM and Robotics
as we competed against other teams
across the state.

Auto Mechanics

I've been working on cars since I've been 16 and have learned plenty of mechanical skills

Contact Me

I'm happy to answer questions about my projects, what I do,
or if you're interested in hiring me after I complete my PhD