Hi, I'm

Edgar Bello

Computer Science Student & Robotics Engineer

CS student at UTRGV passionate about autonomous systems, robotics, and building things that work in the real world. Currently researching drone autonomy at the MARS Lab and leading Cowbots Robotics.

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🎓 UTRGV • Computer Science 📍 Edinburg, TX 🔬 MARS Lab Researcher
Edgar Bello

About Me

I'm a Computer Science student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (expected May 2028), pursuing a minor in Electrical Engineering. I maintain a 3.80 GPA and am passionate about the intersection of software, robotics, and intelligent systems.

From building VEX robots with 99% path accuracy to developing AI-powered ASL recognition systems, I love tackling complex engineering challenges. I'm currently working with Dr. Qi Lu at the MARS Lab, conducting research on drone autonomy and perception.

I co-founded Cowbots Robotics at UTRGV, where our team mentors 100+ high school students in competitive robotics and promotes STEM outreach across the Rio Grande Valley.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley B.S. Computer Science • Minor in Electrical Engineering GPA 3.80 • Expected May 2028

Programming Languages

C++ Java Python Assembly HTML / CSS

Robotics & Embedded Systems

ROS2 ArduPilot Arduino Raspberry Pi PID Control Odometry Sensor Integration

Tools & Software

Git ORB-SLAM3 COLMAP Gazebo VS Code SolidEdge

Languages

English Spanish (Native)

Projects

Robots, drones, software, and more.

🚁 Featured Project • MARS Lab

Drone Volume Mapper

Indoor 3D volume estimation system using an autonomous drone equipped with a depth camera and ORB-SLAM3. The drone navigates enclosed spaces autonomously, builds real-time 3D point clouds via SLAM, then computes room volume through plane detection and convex-hull algorithms.

Built on ROS2 Jazzy with ArduPilot flight control and support for Intel RealSense D455 and OAK-D Lite cameras. Includes a Gazebo simulation environment, camera calibration utilities, and automated post-flight photogrammetry pipelines via COLMAP.

Python ROS2 ORB-SLAM3 ArduPilot COLMAP Intel RealSense
3DPoint Cloud
ROS2Middleware
SLAMRealtime Map
UAVAuto Flight
View on GitHub
🤟

ASL Recognition Assistant

Hackathon Project Nov 2025

AI-powered ASL interpreter built at a 4-person hackathon. Trained a custom model on MediaPipe hand-landmark data to recognize all 26 ASL letters and 15 high-frequency words with over 90% accuracy.

Full recognition pipeline built in Python — model training, real-time inference, and a text-accumulation system that converts finalized phrases to speech. JavaScript + HTML frontend delivers live visual feedback.

Python JavaScript AI / ML HTML

Hackathon Submission Video

ASL Recognition Assistant – Hackathon Submission
VEX Autonomous Robot
🤖

VEX Autonomous Robot

Custom path-following algorithms in C++ achieving 99% path accuracy with positional tolerance under 0.5 in. Implemented odometry, motion profiling, and PID control.

C++ Robotics PID Control
FRC Crescendo Robot with Edgar
⚙️

FRC Robot — Crescendo

Teleoperated + autonomous robot code for the Golden Hawks FRC 2024 season. Also published a full tutorial series on YouTube teaching FRC programming from scratch.

Java FRC Robotics
IEEE Robot at Region 5 Congress
🔬

IEEE Robotics Bot

Autonomous robot using odometry-based navigation on a Raspberry Pi, built for the UTRGV IEEE chapter and competed at the 2026 IEEE Region 5 Congress in Colorado.

Python Raspberry Pi Odometry
💰

Expense Tracker

Desktop application for personal financial management with a Java Swing GUI and SQLite backend. Supports expense categorization, transaction history, and budget tracking.

Java SQLite Swing GUI
🌐

RA Portfolio Website

Personal portfolio website built in TypeScript for the Resident Assistant application at UTRGV, showcasing leadership experience and community involvement.

TypeScript Web Dev

Research

Academic research and autonomous systems.

🚁

MARS Lab — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

May 2026 – Present

Undergraduate Researcher • Advisor: Dr. Qi Lu

Working at the Multiple Autonomous Robotic Systems (MARS) Lab under Dr. Qi Lu. Current research focuses on drone autonomy and perception, developing systems for robust UAV operation — including autonomous volume mapping, flight control algorithms, sensor fusion, and real-time 3D reconstruction in complex indoor environments.

Drone / UAV Autonomous Systems 3D Perception SLAM ROS2

Experience

Founder & Vice-President

Cowbots Robotics • UTRGV
Jul 2025 – May 2026
  • Co-founded Cowbots Robotics at UTRGV, mentoring 100+ high school students in competitive robotics and promoting STEM outreach across the Rio Grande Valley.
  • Led the team's competitive debut in Corpus Christi, TX — securing 3rd place and a $500 award against other universities after just 3 months of preparation with 2 robots.
  • Established partnerships with local schools and recruited 50+ members to grow the organization's reach and impact.

Tutor

Learning Center • UTRGV
Aug 2025 – May 2026
  • Provided individualized tutoring in mathematics (Algebra through Calculus II) and Computer Science, improving students' conceptual understanding by approximately 40%.
  • Managed 12+ weekly appointments, adapting complex concepts to various learning styles to ensure mastery and confidence.

Resident Assistant

Housing & Residence Life • UTRGV
Aug 2025 – Present
  • Managed conflict resolution and crisis intervention for a diverse floor of 30+ residents.
  • Maintained a safe and inclusive living environment through proactive mediation and community programming.

Get In Touch

I'm always open to new opportunities, collaborations, or just a conversation about robotics and CS. Feel free to reach out!

Email Me LinkedIn GitHub