I’m a robotics engineer in Edmonton. I like projects where the mechanism, the electronics and the code all have to be right at the same time, and I work on all three: I design parts in CAD, machine them myself, lay out the boards and write the real-time C++ that runs them.

My MSc thesis at the University of Alberta is a cable-driven haptic wrist for the Barrett WAM arm, the final stage of a research project that ran from 2014 to 2026. In 2026 I spent four months at Barrett Technology in the Boston area, designing and building the final version alongside their engineers. Visitors to Barrett’s booth at IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh then duelled with it in a haptic lightsaber game. I finish the MSc in December 2026.

I also write here about the things I build, mistakes included.

Experience

  • 2026, 4 monthsHaptic wrist developmentBarrett Technology, Boston area
  • 2024 – nowGraduate Research AssistantUniversity of Alberta, Computing Science
  • 2024 – nowMechanical Design and Manufacturing EngineerMillennium Three Technologies
  • Jan – May 2025Graduate Teaching Assistant, Computer Vision and Introduction to Robotics and MechatronicsUniversity of Alberta
  • 2022 – 2024Undergraduate Research AssistantUniversity of Alberta, Computing Science
  • Summer 2022Lead Mathematics InstructorUniversity of Alberta, Faculty of Science Summer Camps

Education

  • 2024 – Dec 2026MSc in Computing Science (thesis), GPA 4.0University of Alberta
  • 2019 – 2023BSc, double major in Mathematics and Computing ScienceUniversity of Alberta

Publications

  1. T. Phelgyal, J. S. Chhabra, J. Valentine, M. Jagersand. “TSHOR: A Cable-Driven Haptic Trigger Interface for Robotic Gripper Teleoperation.” Alberta Robotics & Intelligent Systems Expo (RISEx), 2026.
  2. A. Noohian, D. Miller, J. Valentine, A. Lynch, M. Jagersand. “Sensorless Four-Channel Control Architecture Using Inverse Dynamics Modeling for Human-Scale Bilateral Teleoperation.” Submitted to IROS 2026.
  3. A. Wang, C. Jiang, M. Przystupa, J. Valentine, M. Jagersand. “Point and Go: Intuitive Reference Frame Reallocation in Mode Switching for Assistive Robotics.” ICRA 2025. Best Student Paper
  4. S. Akturk, J. Valentine, M. Jagersand. “Immersive Human-in-the-Loop Control: Real-Time 3D Surface Meshing and Physics Simulation.” IROS 2024.
  5. J. Valentine, D. Miller, F. Haghverd, J. Piwowarczyk, M. Jagersand. “Teleoperation for Mobile Manipulation in Unstructured Environments.” Alberta Robotics & Intelligent Systems Expo, 2024.

Contact

Email is the best way to reach me: jvalenti@ualberta.ca. My CV and code are here too.