Samuel Woo
human, software engineer, robotics enthusiast
Welcome to my corner of the internet. I write code, build robots, and think about embedded systems. Currently based in Sunnyvale, probably drinking coffee and working on something interesting.
human, software engineer, robotics enthusiast
Welcome to my corner of the internet. I write code, build robots, and think about embedded systems. Currently based in Sunnyvale, probably drinking coffee and working on something interesting.
human, software engineer, robotics enthusiast
Welcome to my corner of the internet. I write code, build robots, and think about embedded systems. Currently based in Sunnyvale, probably drinking coffee and working on something interesting.
Hey, I'm Sam. I spend my mornings at the gym, my days building robots, and my free time on volleyball courts or trying new restaurants. I'm big on self-growth, genuine connections, and finding joy in the everyday.
Born and raised in the Bay, studied electrical engineering at UCSD, now working on robotics systems at Amazon. I believe in treating everyone with respect, being intentional with my time, and constantly learning. Also a huge foodie - if you need restaurant recs, I got you.
Reading: 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
Listening to: The Zurkie Show podcast
Working on: Building better habits, content creation, and catching up on vlog edits
Thinking about: How to be more intentional with my time and energy
Grew up playing basketball and baseball, now I'm all about volleyball and golf. I play volleyball every Monday at the work gym (easily the highlight of my week), and I've been learning golf since last year. I love that golf is all about finesse rather than pure athleticism - can't just whack the ball and expect good results.
Currently: Hitting the gym at 6am, running on Strava, and looking forward to Mondays
Huge foodie thanks to my parents introducing me to amazing food growing up. I keep lists of restaurants to try, and when I travel, food is always at the top of my itinerary. You'll find me trying new cafes on weekends and suggesting spots from my list for dinner.
Favorite: Wolf in the Woods (SD), Double Chicken Please (NYC), Arsicault bakery, San Ho Won, Zareen's, Duc Huong
Started making day-in-the-life vlogs as a creative outlet and way to document my journey. Between filming, editing, and voiceovers, it's taught me a ton about storytelling and discipline. Also big on reading, journaling, and using a calendar to be more intentional with my time.
Goal: Catch up on my vlog backlog and keep posting simple, authentic content
Things I'm building or want to build. Some are just ideas, some are in progress.
Concept Stage • Mobile App
A dating app that orchestrates meetups based on restaurant preferences - think Hinge meets Beli/Yelp. Match with people based on your top 3 restaurants or the spots you're dying to try next. Because the best dates happen over good food.
Potential names: Plate Date, Table for Two, Bite Match, Taste Buds, Fork & Spark, Reservd, Savory, Palate, Morsel, Craving, Simmer, Dishcover, Flavr, Biteful, Munchmate, Feastr, Savorly, Tastely
HTML/CSS/JS • In Progress
This website! Building it as a creative outlet and to finally have a personal site. Recent work project got me into frontend dev (building a UI for a navigation orchestrator in sim), so I'm channeling that energy here.
Status: You're looking at it right now
Concept Stage • Full Stack
A Copilot/Mint alternative that aggregates all financial accounts in one place. Parse monthly statements from banks, credit cards, Venmo, Zelle, brokerages - track money in vs. money out, auto-categorize spending (travel, dining, groceries, essentials, etc.), and actually help with budgeting.
Goal: Build something I'd actually use every day
Frontend • Work Project
Built a UI for controlling and visualizing robot navigation in simulation. This project sparked my interest in frontend development and led to building this portfolio site.
Python, Keras, ROS, C++
Trained 10+ CNNs on IMU sensor data achieving 90% accuracy. Implemented real-time classification on device in 1.5 seconds using ROS and TensorFlow Lite.
I build software. Here's the professional stuff if you're into that.
Currently working as a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Lab126, where I focus on robotics and embedded systems. I work on quadruped robots for package delivery, building robust middleware and behavior systems in ROS2. My background includes camera systems, firmware development, and edge computing.
Amazon Lab126
February 2024 - Present
Working on quadruped robotics systems for package delivery. Building middleware and behavior systems using ROS2, C++, and behavior trees (BT.cpp). Developing edge software in an embedded/firmware environment with focus on reliability and performance.
Previously improved camera system reliability by ~95% reduction in crashes and frame drops, delivered multiple enhancements reducing latency by 80ms and startup time from 1300ms to 1000ms.
Amazon Lab126
June 2022 - September 2022
Architected and trained 10+ two-branch convolutional neural networks on IMU sensor data, achieving 90% accuracy via device-collected data through Keras' functional API and scikit-learn.
Implemented 4 models onto the device to perform real-time classification in 1.5 seconds at 90% accuracy using ROS (rospy and roscpp) and an internal API that executes .tflite models in C++.
UC San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering
September 2020 - June 2023
Tutored 800+ students with homework and exam preparation over 10 academic quarters across 2 different courses. Achieved 100% recommendation rate from student surveys.
Want to chat about robotics, food, or just say hi? I'd love to hear from you.