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Daniel August Hagen

Mathematician, Engineer, Scientist

Portfolio

MY WORK
ALL KINEMATICS DYNAMICS MUSCLE MECHANICS MACHINE LEARNING MOTOR CONTROL CONTROL THEORY CONFERENCE POSTERS
insideOut:
A Bio-Inspired Machine Learning Approach to Estimating Posture in Robots Driven by Compliant Tendons
Robotic revolute joint actuated by antagonist motors and compliant tendons
Predicting Joint Angle from Sensor Data
Using Feedback Linearization on Tendon-driven Systems to Control Joint Angle and Stiffness
Deriving a Better Musculotendon Excursion Equation
Controlling Tendon-driven Systems with Integrator Backstepping Algorithm
Percent Error from Assuming Inextensible Tendons During Isometric Task
Percent Error from Assuming Constant Pennation During Isometric Task
SIAM DS 2019
The Motor Control Problem
Grodins 2018
Similar Movements Induce Different Musculotendon Velocities
Visualizing Kinematically-Derived Muscle Length Error
Controlling a Physical Pendulum w. Muscles
Muscle Moment Arms During a Basketball Free Throw
SfN 2016

About me

PROFESSIONAL PATH

Stop me if you've heard this one before... I'm a chef-turned-scientist who likes to build stuff and code. I used to be an actor and I love math. Pretty straightforward career path, right?

The truth is, I like to make things. In 2011, I started my own catering company so I could make fun and interesting dishes for my clients (and because it's an unofficial LA law that you cater if you're an actor). Then one random day, while catering a corporate viewing party, I was fortunate enough to see Dr. Hugh Herr's TED talk. While seamlessly walking around the stage on his two lower-limb prosthetics, Dr. Herr brought everyone to tears as he described how he used state-of-the-art prosthetics to restore a ballerina's ability to dance after losing her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing. There wasn't a dry eye in the audience as we watched this woman dance for the first time since the terrorist attack. I sat there speechless as I witness the intersection of art and math make a difference in this woman's life. I was so inspired by this story that the next day I decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Six months later, I said goodbye to catering and hello to graduate school.

Over the last 4 years, I've learned a lot about biomechanics, motor control, control theory and neuroscience, but I've also made a lot as well. I've written numeruous computer programs -- some for research and some just because I wanted to build something useful. And now that my PhD is coming to a close, I am looking for a place where I can continue growing and where I can help build something truly helpful.

Education

ACADEMIC CAREER

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
MAY 2016 - AUGUST 2020

GPA: 3.955 (Provost Fellow)

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
JANUARY 2015 - MAY 2016

GPA: 3.95

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
AUGUST 2006 - MAY 2010

GPA: 3.60 (Minors: Chemistry, Biochemistry)

Skills

LANGUAGES

PYTHON

MATLAB

C/C++

HTML / CSS

Javascript

LaTeX

TOOLS
Biomimetic Robotics, Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, Deep Learning, Tensorflow, Github, Travis CI, Unit Testing, Object-Oriented Programming, REST APIs, Simulations of Dynamical Systems, Data Visualization, Adobe Illustrator, Google Sheets, Microsoft Office
COURSEWORK
Linear Systems Theory, Nonlinear and Adaptive Control, Neuromuscular Systems, Lagrangian Mechanics, Inverse Kinematics, Path Planning, Physiological Control Systems
SOFT SKILLS
Persistent, Passionate, Flexible, Detail-Oriented, Communicative, Self-Motivated, Collaborative, Problem-Solving

Work Experience

PREVIOUS JOBS

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, DIVISION OF BIOKINESIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
MAY 2015 - AUGUST 2020

Brain-Body Dynamics Lab w. Dr. Francisco J. Valero-Cuevas

  • Control and analyze redundant tendon-driven systems in order to better understand motor control by designing novel simulation platforms in both Python and MATLAB
  • Increase lab productivity by developing useful programs that automatically format and save data visualizations, remind lab members of upcoming deadlines, and generate progress reports

TEACHING ASSISTANT

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
AUGUST 2019 - JANUARY 2020
AUGUST 2018 - JANUARY 2019

BME 620L - Applied Electrophysiology w. Dr. Gerald E. Loeb

  • Facilitated weekly experiments that utilize concepts from biophysics to record physiological phenomena and to stimulate electrically-excitable tissue (e.g., EMG, EEG)
  • Encouraged learning and proficiency in course concepts and lab techniques by leading weekly discussion groups of 15 or more students

TEACHING ASSISTANT

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
JANUARY 2019 - MAY 2019

BME 402 - Control and Communication in the Nervous System w. Dr. Bartlett Mel

  • Lead two weekly group discussions with students to build computational models of the nervous system
  • Taught basic MATLAB and Microsoft Excel concepts (e.g., IF statements, ODE solvers, image processing)
  • Provided course statistics for individual questions on assessments and assignments to provide up-to-date feedback to the students and teacher on sources of confusion and concepts that need further explanation

TUTOR

HAYUTIN & ASSOCIATES
APRIL 2010 - DECEMBER 2017
  • Educated high school students in the Greater Los Angeles area in Mathematics and Science
  • Gained experience working as a freelance tutor with multiple families for extended durations
  • Analyzed each student’s progress to adjust material presentation as to appeal to various student learning styles
  • Obtained invaluable information about communication with respect to learning

OWNER / HEAD CHEF

iCUE CATERING
AUGUST 2011 - JANUARY 2015

iCue Catering: I COOK, U EAT

  • Established a new catering company, grown from a passion project to a stable business
  • Curated private events by developing new menus, managing event staff, and by coordinating closely with clientele to meet their needs

Projects

& PUBLICATIONS

INSIDEOUT

A BIO-INSPIRED FRAMEWORK FOR JOINT ANGLE ESTIMATION FROM NON-COLLOCATED SENSORS IN TENDON-DRIVEN SYSTEMS
JAN 2020

IEEE/RSJ IROS 2020 Peer-Reviewed Abstract (Preprint Available Here)

  • Developed a machine learning algorithm that estimates posture in tendon-driven robots from non-collocated sensors to produce state estimates <0.01 degree in accuracy as an alternative to traditional on-location joint angle sensors

FIGTREE

GROWING FIGS ON THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
SEPT 2019

Github Repository Available at usc-bbdl/figtree

  • Designed a continuous integration service for building a PPT from all of the lab members' weekly progress figures that increased productivity and accountability in the lab by streamlining and regimenting the sharing of research progress

RESOLVING REDUNDANCY

CONTROLLING A COMPLIANT TENDON-DRIVEN ROBOT WITH REDUNDANT ACTUATORS
MAY 2017 - JAN 2020

Github Repositories Available at danhagen/NonlinearControl and danhagen/ddp

  • Accomplished stable reference trajectory tracking for redundantly-actuated, compliant tendon-driven systems using a variety of tools like integrator backstepping, feedback linearization, and model predictive control

DANPY

A PYTHON PACKAGE OF USEFUL FUNCTIONS
SEPT 2017 - AUG 2020

Github Repository Available at danhagen/danpy

  • Created a fully-documented Python package with 95% test coverage that helps researchers visualize their code output with tools like a command line statusbar and a figure-saving function that creates Github-flavored markdown progress reports for fast and easy viewing

QUANTIFYING ERRORS

ERRORS IN PREDICTING MUSCLE FIBER LENGTHS FROM JOINT KINEMATICS POINT TO THE NEED TO INCLUDE TENDON TENSION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROMUSCULAR MODELS
MAY 2018 - MAY 2020

bioRxiv 2020.07.08.194381 (Available Here)

  • Quantified the error associated with approximating muscle fiber lengths from joint kinematics alone as a function of both tendon tension and musculotendon geometry

BASKETBALL SHOTS

SIMILAR MOVEMENTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT MUSCLE CONTRACTION VELOCITIES
MAY 2017

Journal of Biomechanics 2017 Peer-Reviewed Full-Length Article (Available Here)

  • Simulated 100,000 basketball free throws to illustrate that similar movements can induce drastically different musculotendon velocities (therefore requiring drastically different control strategies) through kinematic redundancy

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