Ammar J
Mahmood
Robotics Engineer · Astronautics Student
International Institute for Astronautical Sciences
Ammar J Mahmood is a robotics engineer and Mechatronics Engineering student completing AST 501: Fundamentals of Astronautics with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). Taught by former NASA astronaut instructors, the program covers human-spaceflight mission planning, aerospace physiology, and suborbital life-support systems, capped by a hands-on intensive at Florida Tech.
A licensed private and glider pilot, Ammar has trained on aircraft like the Diamond DA20 and flies cross-country gliders with the University Soaring Society, where he received a President's Award for his contributions to the club. Outside the cockpit, he is a scuba diver, snowboarder, and indoor skydiver, has competed in more than 25 hackathons across North America, and is fluent in English and French.
His robotics work points skyward too. He built flight avionics for high-powered rockets with the TMU MARS Rocket Team, and at BramHacks 2025 — Space Edition his team built N.O.P.S. (Navigation Offline Positioning System), an IMU-based autonomous navigation system for space and robotics applications that tracks position without GPS, and took home an award. By day he builds autonomous EV-charging robots at Kiwi Charge, work he has presented to industry professionals and researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“Engineering is about pushing boundaries, one line of code and one circuit at a time.”
Gallery
Publications & Features
Outside the build: I enjoy snowboarding and trying new things, attending conferences, meeting new people, building solutions with new tools, constantly learning, and making videos along the way.
President's Award, University Soaring Society — with the exec team
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Ammar J Mahmood
Robotics Engineer · Astronautics Student (IIAS) · Private & Glider Pilot
Robotics engineer and Mechatronics Engineering student completing IIAS AST 501: Fundamentals of Astronautics. Licensed private and glider pilot, TMU MARS rocketry avionics, 25+ hackathons, and award-winning autonomous-navigation work for space and robotics applications.
IIAS — AST 501: Fundamentals of Astronautics
Completing astronautics training with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences: mission planning, aerospace physiology, suborbital life support; Florida Tech intensive.
Private & Glider Pilot
Licensed private and glider pilot (Diamond DA20, cross-country gliders). University Soaring Society President's Award.
BramHacks 2025: Space Edition — N.O.P.S.
Award-winning IMU-based offline autonomous navigation system for space and robotics applications, built with a 5-person team.
Robotics Engineer — Kiwi Charge
Builds autonomous EV-charging robots; presented at the Clean Energy showcase at Toronto Metropolitan University. 25+ hackathons.
Gallery
Zero Gravity Flight
Private Pilot
TMU MARS Rocket Launch
In the Cockpit
IVA Spacesuit Training
Launch Day, MARS Rocketry
BramHacks 2025: Space Edition
Glider Training
Suborbital Spacecraft Simulator
Aerobatic Flight
Purpose Robotics Humanoid
Indoor Skydiving, iFly Montreal
Hypoxia Training
Viam Robot Hackathon
IIAS AST 501 Class
Scuba Diving
Snowboarding
30lb Combat Robot
ROSCon Global 2026, Toronto
Publications & Features
- ARRC — arXiv Research Paper — arxiv.org/abs/2510.05547
- Robust Visual Embodiment — arXiv Paper — arxiv.org/abs/2510.03677
- Instructables — Computer Vision ASL Robotic Arm
- Instructables — Autonomous Robot for Under $30
- Kiwi Charge Robot Simulation
- Viam Hackathon — Fine Motor Skills Winner