Sergio Machaca

Mechanical Engineer — touch sensing, haptics & physical AI

I completed my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in July 2025, in the Haptics and Medical Robotics Lab led by Dr. Jeremy D. Brown. My research focused on haptic feedback and skill assessment methods for training novice robotic surgeons in minimally invasive procedures.

I am currently Lead Mechatronics Engineer at Sensetics Inc., a startup based in Princeton, NJ, working at the intersection of sensing, actuation, and physical AI.

2024 – present

Lead Mechatronics Engineer

Sensetics Inc. · Princeton, NJ

Leading mechatronics development at an early-stage startup focused on touch sensing and physical AI systems.

2018 – 2025

Graduate Research Assistant

Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD

PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering. Developed skill assessment and haptic feedback methods for training novice surgeons on robotic minimally invasive surgical systems.

SolidWorks Python MATLAB Mechatronics Robotics Haptics Touch Sensing Physical AI