Simon Kefeteberhan
I build robots, embedded systems, and the software around them. Based in Groningen.
If it has a sensor and a microcontroller, I want to work on it.
Most of my projects start with a breadboard and end with something driving, balancing, or sorting on its own.
IMU diagnostics at Ventura Systems
Built a diagnostic that pinpoints which adjustment on a bus door caused a fault.
— Groningen
01
About
I started in software and moved into hardware after my first year at Hanze. I enjoy work where I can build something, test it, and see exactly what needs improving.
I now study Electrical Engineering at Hanze, with a focus on Sensors & Smart Systems. My projects cover robotics, computer vision, sensor analysis, and embedded software.
Outside class, I build robots for line following, balancing, and parcel sorting. On the side I run a news site and a health assistant for Tigrinya speakers.
I learn best by building prototypes and testing them on real hardware.
02
Recent work
I recently completed an internship at Ventura Systems, where I developed an IMU-based diagnostic for plug-sliding bus doors. It uses rule-based logic to identify which adjustment caused a fault.
Completed in 2026 at Ventura Systems
03
Where I've been
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2026
Intern · Ventura Systems
Developed an IMU-based diagnostic for plug-sliding bus doors, from data collection and phase detection to rule-based fault classification.
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2024 to present
Indie builder · Self-shipped
I build and run Tena and Serwe News, two live sites for Tigrinya-speaking users. Design, code, deployment, and upkeep are all mine.
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2023 to present
BSc Electrical Engineering · Hanze, Groningen
Studying electronics, embedded systems, control theory, sensor analytics, computer vision, and robotics in the Sensors & Smart Systems track.
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2022 to 2023
BSc Software Engineering · Hanze, first year
Studied software design, algorithms, and web development before switching to Electrical Engineering.
04
Selected work
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01
Vision-guided line follower
Raspberry Pi robot that follows a line, spots obstacles with YOLOv8, and plans a detour with Dijkstra when the path is blocked.
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02
Hardware-in-the-loop navigation
Webots simulation wired to a real ESP32 over serial, so I could test navigation code before it ever touched the robot.
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03
Smart parcel sorter
Measures parcels on a conveyor with a single calibrated webcam and picks the right sorting path. A live dashboard shows what it's doing.
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04
ASA: algae sensor analytics
ESP32 and Raspberry Pi setup that logs pH, temperature, and colorimetry from an algae growth tank and streams everything to Azure IoT Hub.
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05
Self-balancing robot
Two-wheel robot balancing on IMU feedback and a PID loop. It took three chassis versions before it stopped falling over.
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06
ሰርወ: Serwe News
News site covering the Horn of Africa in Tigrinya and English. I built it, run it, and keep it online.
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07
ጥዕና: Tena
Public health assistant in Tigrinya and English, with chat and location-based help for common health questions.
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08
Simon: local voice assistant
Push-to-talk desktop assistant that runs the language model and text-to-speech fully offline. Nothing leaves the machine.
Case study · 01
live · system online
Smart parcel sorter
- Problem
- The sorter needed to measure boxes reliably even when the lighting changed.
- Approach
- I used one calibrated camera and an OpenCV pipeline to measure each parcel. A live dashboard shows the measurements and sorting decision.
- Result
- Careful camera calibration removed most of the incorrect readings and made the sorting decisions more consistent.
- StackPython · OpenCV · NumPy
- Vision1 calibrated webcam, real-time
- DecisionDimension-ratio classifier
- UICustom live dashboard
- Repogithub.com/Simonf8/Rolling
Case study · 02
ASA: algae sensor analytics
- Problem
- Manual checks do not show how conditions in an algae tank change between measurements.
- Approach
- Sensors connect to an ESP32, which sends readings through a Raspberry Pi to Azure. The dashboard keeps the current values and trends in one place.
- Result
- The system continuously records pH, temperature, and colorimetry data. Fluorescence sensing is the next addition.
- SensorspH · temp · RGB colorimetry · fluorescence (next)
- EdgeESP32 · MicroPython
- GatewayRaspberry Pi 4
- TransportMQTT · JSON over TLS
- CloudAzure IoT Hub · time-series store
- UICustom dashboard, single source of truth
live · streaming
Case study · 03
Self-balancing robot
- Problem
- The robot needed to stay upright and recover when pushed without oscillating continuously.
- Approach
- An MPU-6050 measures movement, a complementary filter estimates the angle, and a PID loop running at 200 Hz controls the motors. I rebuilt the chassis twice to reduce flex.
- Result
- The third prototype balances and recovers from small pushes. I continue to tune it as the battery level and floor surface change.
- MCUESP32 · C++
- IMUMPU-6050 @ 200 Hz
- FilterComplementary filter using accelerometer and gyro data
- ControlManually tuned PID
- DriveDual N20 geared motors
- Buildv3 prototype · custom chassis
05
Stack
- Languages
- Python, C++, JavaScript, a bit of Rust when no one is watching
- Embedded
- ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, UART / I²C / SPI
- Vision & AI
- OpenCV, YOLOv8, PyTorch, real-time inference
- IoT & cloud
- Azure IoT Hub, MQTT, REST, data pipelines
- Control
- PID, complementary filters, path planning
- Tools
- Linux, Git, Docker, far too much of the terminal
06
Get in touch
If you're working on embedded systems, robotics, or software for underserved languages, let's talk.
I'm open to internships, embedded & robotics work, and collaborations on projects connected to Eritrea or the diaspora. Email is the fastest way to reach me, and I usually reply within a day or two.