Available to hire
Hello! I’m Usman Ali, a Ph.D. researcher and hands-on R&D engineer with over 12 years of experience in robotics, communications, IoT, embedded systems, and GPS/mobile technologies. I’ve led cross-functional teams across academia and industry, translating complex technical challenges into practical, client-focused solutions. I’m passionate about building robust firmware, scalable software, and real-world applications that people can actually use.
I’m fluent in English and French, enjoy sharing knowledge through talks and papers, and love mentoring colleagues through challenging projects. I thrive in collaborative environments and continually seek opportunities to learn and innovate at the intersection of hardware, software, and cloud-enabled services.
Language
English
Fluent
French
Advanced
Work Experience
Software Engineer, R & D at Boumatic Robotics
April 1, 2022 - PresentDevelop backend software for Milking Robots. Develop test tools and handle Azure cloud integrations and third-party integrations.
Firmware Engineer, R & D at NANOPTIX
April 1, 2022 - September 24, 2025R&D Firmware Group: Design and develop firmware for printers for gaming and retail industries (C for TI TMS320VC5509A DSP and AM335x ARM); develop production tools in C#; fix issues and add features (e.g., IPv6).
Signal Processing Designer, R & D Hardware at EXFO
July 31, 2018 - September 24, 2025Design and develop signal processing for OTDR, OSA, and PM test equipment; design/test automation tools in C# for OTDR/OSA production.
Product Engineer, R & D at Intelligent Imaging Systems Inc.
September 30, 2016 - September 24, 2025Integration of Weight In Motion (WIM) equipment with DriveWyzeTM mobile application; hardware/software integration; embedded Linux-based ARM; cloud integration; GPS data collection; on-site testing; coordination with mobile developers.
Microsoft Research Scholar at Laboratory of Signal & System, CNRS
September 30, 2008 - September 24, 2025A robust gateway between WiMAX and WiFi; S-PPS protocol; frame synchronization and FEC decoding; simulated in C++.
Network Communication Engineer at Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen, Germany
September 30, 2007 - September 24, 2025Rebroadcasting video over a network; recover lost H.264 packets in multicast using RTP-level FEC; prototype server-to-client rebroadcast for LAN; VC++ implementation.
Embedded DSP Co-op at TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, Germany
August 31, 2003 - September 24, 2025Low latency video transmission over network; upgraded H.264 demo on DM6446/DM6437; reduced latency from ~400 ms to ~100 ms.
Embedded System Co-op at And Or Logic Ltd, Pakistan
August 31, 2002 - September 24, 2025Led team to interface microcontroller with smart card; debug noise generator module for PCI board; learn device interfaces; implemented IIR/FIR, FFT, and VQ algorithms.
Lecturer at COMSATS Institute of IT, Pakistan
December 31, 2004 - September 24, 2025Undergraduate supervision and research collaboration; manage student internships and industrial visits.
Software Engineer, R&D at Boumatic Robotics
April 1, 2022 - PresentDevelop backend software for milking robots, create test tools for software components, and manage Azure cloud and third-party integrations.
Firmware Engineer, R&D at NANOPTIX
April 1, 2022 - September 24, 2025R&D firmware for gaming/retail printers (C for TI TMS320VC5509A DSP and AM335x ARM). Develop production tools in C# and implement features such as IPv6 support; troubleshoot and resolve customer issues.
Signal Processing Designer, R&D Hardware at EXFO
July 1, 2018 - September 24, 2025Design and develop signal processing for OTDR, OSA, and Power Meter test equipment; create test automation tools in C# for OTDR/OSA production.
Product Engineer, R&D at Intelligent Imaging Systems Inc.
September 1, 2016 - September 24, 2025R&D to integrate Weight In Motion equipment with DriveWyze mobile app; hardware/software integration with WIM hardware, GPS data collection, and cloud-based web services; designed embedded Python software for Linux-based ARM devices and C# algorithms for lane estimation/time-tracking; coordination with Android/iOS developers; on-site testing and end-to-end GPS validation.
Microsoft Research Scholar at Laboratory of Signals & Systems, CNRS, France
October 1, 2010 - September 24, 2025Sponsored by Microsoft Research; designed gateway/relay for WiMAX-WiFi with robust protocol stack; developed tools for frame synchronization and FEC decoding to enable inter-network flow.
Network Communication Engineer at Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen, Germany
September 1, 2007 - September 24, 2025Rebroadcasting video over a network; developed RTP-level FEC to recover lost H.264 packets and created a server-to-client rebroadcast prototype using platform-independent libraries (VC++).
Embedded DSP Co-op at TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, Germany
September 1, 2003 - September 24, 2025Low-latency H.264 networked video demo on TI Digital Media System-on-Chips; reduced latency from ~400 ms to ~100 ms; documented networked encode/decode changes.
Embedded System Co-op at And Or Logic Ltd, Pakistan
August 1, 2002 - September 24, 2025Led a team interfacing microcontrollers with smart cards; debugging noise generator module; learned C, Verilog concepts; implemented IIR/FIR, FFT algorithms.
Education
Engineer’s and Technologist Integration Program (Electronic Engineering) at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011Ph.D. in Computer Systems and Networking at TELECOM ParisTech, France
September 1, 2007 - September 24, 2025M.Sc. in Signal Processing at University of Paris 11, France
January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2004B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, Pakistan
January 1, 1999 - December 31, 2003Engineer’s and Technologist Integration Program (Electronic Engineering) at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
January 1, 2010 - January 1, 2011Ph.D. in Computer Systems and Networking at TELECOM ParisTech, France
September 1, 2007 - September 24, 2025M.Sc. in Signal Processing at University of Paris 11, France
January 1, 2000 - January 1, 2004B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, Pakistan
January 1, 2003 - January 1, 2004Qualifications
Best Student in Electronics Engineering Integration Program, NAIT (Canada)
January 1, 2010 - January 1, 2011French scholarship for M.Sc. (France)
January 1, 2000 - January 1, 2003Dean’s honors list, consecutive 7 semesters
January 1, 1999 - January 1, 2005Best overall student of the year 1999
January 1, 1999 - September 24, 2025Industry Experience
Computers & Electronics, Education, Software & Internet, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Media & Entertainment
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