Pedro Esteves

B.Sc. in Software Engineering @ University of Minho

  • GitHub: https://github.com/Herculano-Esteves
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-herculano-esteves-204573354/
  • Email: PedroHerculano@proton.me

Education

Master's in Software Engineering

Period: 2026 - Present

Institution: University of Minho | Braga, Portugal

Bachelor's in Software Engineering

Period: Sep 2023 - Jun 2026

Institution: University of Minho | Braga, Portugal

Active Research / Devlogs

Planet Game Engine

Period: 2026 - Present

Tags: #C++, #OpenGL 3.3+, #Jolt Physics

Summary: A custom C++ game engine built from scratch for universe and planet-scale simulations.

Devlog Content:

Overview

Building a custom C++ game engine from scratch to simulate solar systems and planet-scale environments without losing precision at large distances.

Key focus areas:

  • Double-Precision Coordinates: Using 64-bit precision so objects move smoothly across vast planetary distances without jitter.
  • Physics & ECS: Integrating Jolt Physics for collisions and EnTT for fast entity management.
  • Rendering & Tests: Modern OpenGL 3.3 renderer and automated unit tests with doctest.
Architectural Challenges

Traditional engines often run into floating-point issues when handling astronomical scales alongside player-scale interactions. Building the core systems directly in C++ allows full control over data memory layouts, coordinate shifts, and AVX2 vectorization specifically tailored for universe physics.

What I'm Exploring Next
  • Dynamic planet Level of Detail (LOD) chunking.
  • GPU voxel terrain generation for seamless planet surfaces.

Exam Preparation Platform

Period: 2025 - Present

Tags: #React, #Open-Source

Summary: An open-source study platform designed to help university students practice and prepare for exams in any subject.

Devlog Content:

Overview

An open-source web application designed to help university students study more effectively. The goal is to provide a clean, distraction-free place to practice mock tests and verify answers for any course.

Key features:

  • Universal Practice: Modular question sets adaptable to different subjects.
  • Instant Feedback: Timed sessions with automated scoring and answer reviews.
  • Lightweight & Private: Fast React frontend with zero tracking.
Motivation & Study Flow

Most study platforms either lack flexible question customization or clutter the experience with unnecessary paywalls. My focus is keeping this completely open and student-first: providing clean statistical feedback on weak areas, instant answer verification, and a distraction-free environment for deep practice sessions.

What I'm Exploring Next
  • Conducting user testing with university students to evaluate study flow and usability.
  • Adding community question sharing and study deck imports.

Projects

Exam Preparation Platform

A software engineering exam preparation platform, built to optimize studying with interactive tests and performance analysis.

Link: https://herculano-esteves.github.io/examPreparation/

Fleet Simulator

A comprehensive fleet simulation for analyzing EV and Gas vehicle operations in urban environments. Models real OpenStreetMap data, traffic conditions, hotspot demands, weather states, charging logistics, and AI routing.

Link: https://github.com/Herculano-Esteves/AI-25-26

Flight Companion

Consolidates flight tracking, boarding pass barcode parsing, trip planning, and context-aware chatbot guides. Developed in 48 hours for the BugsByte 2026 Hackathon.

Video Showcase: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/pTjHLOc0qTQ

Link: https://github.com/Herculano-Esteves/Flight_Companion

Entity Editor

A modular 2D Entity Editor designed for creating complex character rigs and entities for custom game engines. Features include Sprite Management, Pivot Control, UV Editing, and precise Hitbox Collision definitions.

Link: https://github.com/Herculano-Esteves/entityEditor

Opportunities

Engineering & Work

Open to Software Engineering positions, internships, and R&D engineering projects.

Location & Availability

Based in Braga, Portugal. Available for on-site, hybrid, or full remote collaboration.