Behind the scenes with Agustin, R&D Software Engineer in the team of Jan Olbrechts
We are thrilled to welcome Agustin Urquiza as the newest member of the R&D team of Jan Olbrechts. Agustin, originally from Argentina, holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina). He has experience as a senior engineer specializing in embedded systems at Marvell Technologies in Argentina. Agustin spent four months in Manchester, UK, studying English and, after traveling throughout Europe, found he enjoyed it so much that he decided to apply for the position of Embedded Software Engineer at Essensium and relocated to Belgium.
Let’s find out more about his job and discover also something about Agustin’s life outside work.
– Can you tell us a bit about your responsibilities?
Our SafeTrack™ Safety Assistance System for pedestrians uses AI enabled object recognition to understand where pedestrians are located in relationship to the vehicles. The system informs the drivers where the pedestrians are and makes sure to detect them early and avoid any collisions or other dangerous situations. It doesn’t need any people tags to recognize pedestrians so no problem if people forget their tags, they are protected by the system’s visual inspection approach. I oversee the positioning algorithms for AI-based pedestrian and vehicle detection. My duties also include quality assurance (QA), writing releases for customers, maintaining the code, and enhancing the test site used for evaluating both the device and the software. Additionally, I work on the distance estimation feature within the software, which calculates the distance between pedestrians and vehicles.
– What’s the best thing about your job?
The team is well-organized, and everyone has clear responsibilities. I appreciate the independence in my role. Unlike in larger companies where you’re given limited time to fix issues, at Essensium, we work together to resolve problems. The flexible working environment allows for both teamwork and individual responsibility. Everyone contributes as a team player.
– What are the biggest challenges in your work?
The main challenge is applying my experience from my previous job to enhance every aspect of the code. I’m constantly thinking about ways to improve the software.
– What do you do in your free time?
I enjoy climbing and running. I also like playing video games, especially driving simulations like F1. Additionally, I play Star Wars games that involve jumping and catching objects.
– Which things are on your bucket list?
Currently, I’m navigating many changes after recently moving to Belgium. My immediate goal is to find a good apartment and buy some nice furniture. Before that, I need to decide whether I want to stay in Brussels or move to Leuven. That’s my primary goal for 2024. In the long term, I’d love to visit Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam and Bali.