Hojjat Abdollahi
Denver,CO
Summary
An Engineer and a scientist with a passion for robotics and expertise in cutting-edge machine learning and artificial intelligence. With 10+ years of experience in AI and software engineering. Proficient in C++, Python, and Rust, with a proven track record in software development. A creative problem solver and fast learner, eager to innovate at the intersection of robotics and AI, driving advancements in autonomous systems and intelligent robotics. With the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy. A team player with the principle to share knowledge. Mentored many junior developers in the past decade.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Software Engineering Manager
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2020 - Current
- Managed a group of software and hardware engineers to create 4th version of Ryan, a social robot, while mentoring junior software engineers.
- Created tools to manage the robots remotely, communicate with AWS Greengrass, interface with hardware, integrate ChatGPT, etc. in various programming languages such as Rust, C++, and Python
- Developed an Artificial Emotional Intelligence module for Ryan and conducted Human-Robot Interaction studies in multiple senior care facilities, focusing on older adults with dementia and/or depression
- Customized a Linux OS for Ryan, wrote scripts to automate the process, and setup/managed CI/CD on Bitbucket.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Denver
08.2015 - 05.2023
- Designed a DNN for one-stage multi-subject facial expression recognition algorithm
- Designed an Artificial Emotional Intelligence model, integrated it into a robot, conducted a study on it that resulted in a journal paper
- Studied humans' perception of eye-gaze in a retro-projected robot
- Conducted multiple studies in human-robot interaction
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2018 - 01.2020
- Created a deep neural network for emotion recognition (using Residual Blocks and Inception) and trained it on a custom dataset of images of older adults
- Created a Speech-to-Text module using Kaldi
- Created an avatar capable of animation in Unity3D
- Deployed a new LLM (Blender by Facebook) to Ryan
Software Engineer
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2016 - 01.2018
- Designed a software architecture for the robot that is extensible and reliable
- Developed (in ROS C++) and integrated components such as Speech-to-Text Service, Text-to-Speech
- Intel Realsense, chatbot, etc
- Improved lip synchronization (visual speech) by implementing a new method for text and audio and extracting phoneme directly from MS TTS engine.
Software Engineer
Mahya Company
09.2012 - 07.2014
- Worked alongside a hardware engineer to create a traffic monitoring camera, capable of reading license plates (using OCR) and estimate vehicle speed.
Software Engineer
SalamCinama
01.2012 - 07.2014
- As part of a team of 3, helped with the brainstorming, designing and developing a website for movies and movie critics. SalamCinama is now a large website with a lot of traffic.
Graduate Research Assistant
Sharif University of Technology
09.2011 - 06.2013
- Implemented an object detection algorithm called TLD (tracking-learning-detection), designed for low-power systems
- Developed an advanced and universal approach for object detection in videos that is robust to changes over time.
Teaching Assistant
Fasa University
01.2007 - 01.2011
- Improving the accuracy of texture detection using wavelet transform
- Created and led the robotics group (Robocup Rescue Simulation).
Education
Ph.D. - Electrical And Computer Engineering
University of Denver
Denver, CO2023
Master of Science - Artificial Intelligence
Sharif University of Technology
Tehran, Iran2013
Bachelor of Science - Computer Software Engineering
Fasa University
Fasa, Iran2011
Skills
- Deep Learning, Machine Learning
- Computer Vision
- Robotics
- Software Engineering
- TensorFlow, PyTorch
- Pandas, Numpy
- C, Qt, Robot Operating System (ROS)
- Rust, Python
- Linux
Timeline
Software Engineering Manager
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2020 - Current
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2018 - 01.2020
Software Engineer
Dream Face Technologies, LLC
06.2016 - 01.2018
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Denver
08.2015 - 05.2023
Software Engineer
Mahya Company
09.2012 - 07.2014
Software Engineer
SalamCinama
01.2012 - 07.2014
Graduate Research Assistant
Sharif University of Technology
09.2011 - 06.2013
Teaching Assistant
Fasa University
01.2007 - 01.2011
Ph.D. - Electrical And Computer Engineering
University of Denver
Master of Science - Artificial Intelligence
Sharif University of Technology
Bachelor of Science - Computer Software Engineering
Fasa University
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