Nicolas Piro
Verified Expert in Engineering
Data Scientist and AI Developer
Zürich, Switzerland
Toptal member since January 21, 2022
Nicolas is a groundbreaking data scientist with 18 years of experience in data science, software, and R&D in big corporations (Sony, Expedia), healthcare (hospitals), startups, and academia. His areas of expertise include ML, software engineering, signal processing, computer vision, NLP, and big data technologies. Nicolas is a genuinely curious, rigorous, and analytical person with excellent communication skills and a knack for explaining complex concepts to diverse audiences.
Portfolio
Experience
- Physics - 17 years
- Jupyter Notebook - 12 years
- Machine Learning - 11 years
- Python - 11 years
- Scikit-learn - 10 years
- SQL - 6 years
- TensorFlow - 5 years
- Spark - 4 years
Preferred Environment
MacOS, Jupyter Notebook, Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Spark, Scikit-learn, Python, PyTorch, C++, Scala
The most amazing...
...thing I've developed is a novel method to help cardiologists visualize the blood flow in the heart and better diagnose certain diseases.
Work Experience
Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer
SONY
- Developed a low-latency hand-tracking system using deep learning and computer vision algorithms, deployed in real time in an AR headset system. Used conventional image sensors, event cameras, and depth sensors.
- Built a real-time high-speed 3D sensing system for mobile face recognition. Used event-based sensors for low latency and fast performance.
- Developed a sensor simulation framework and a deep-learning-based processing pipeline to demonstrate a new dual parallel exposure image sensor for HDR and low light imaging, proving better performance than conventional sensors.
- Built a video frame prediction neural network architecture to predict future video frames to compensate for latency in augmented reality head-mounted displays.
- Invented SLAM processing pipeline for hyperspectral sensors on mobile phones.
- Authored 4 patents, mentored junior engineers, delivered customer demos, led projects and teams, managed small engineer teams, and performed reporting duties.
Senior and Lead Data Scientist
Expedia
- Built an application to analyze competitor product pricing data and optimize Expedia prices in real time.
- Developed an algorithm to predict user intent in the Expedia Partner Solutions platform and optimize the ranking of the items in the website, which optimized the CTR by over 10%.
- Built experimentation frameworks and analytics tools to monitor and report on the performance of various data science projects in production.
- Developed a prototype machine translation system to translate user reviews in Expedia's main site.
CTO
Miraex
- Created data analytics tools and machine learning pipelines to detect anomalies in vibration sensor signals.
- Developed hardware control software for optical and electronic equipment.
- Performed business development activities: pitched in startup competitions, approached and interacted with investors and customers, negotiated pilot projects, and promoted the business in technology fairs and startup events.
Research Scientist
EPFL
- Performed cutting-edge research to develop the most sensitive vibration sensors in the world, using optical and nanomechanical technics combined with advanced signal processing.
- Led a team of junior researchers and students, supervising and mentoring them during their projects.
- Performed university teaching and outreach activities.
Experience
Machine Learning App to Predict Failure in Industrial Machines
http://www.miraex.comAutomatic Review Translation System for Expedia.com
Pricing Engine for an eCommerce Platform
Computer Vision Application to Automate the Alignment and Quality Control of Radiotherapy Machines
Education
Ph.D. in Applied Physics
Polytechnic University of Catalonia (BarcelonaTech) - Barcelona, Spain
Master's Degree in Physics
University of Balearic Islands - Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, Pandas, PyTorch
Tools
PyCharm, Qubole, MATLAB, Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX)
Languages
Python, C, SQL, C++, Scala
Frameworks
Spark, Presto
Platforms
Jupyter Notebook, MacOS, Databricks, Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Paradigms
Automation, Anomaly Detection
Storage
Apache Hive, Teradata
Other
Research, Data Processing, Machine Learning, Physics, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Analysis, Optics, Data Science, Decision Trees, Dimensionality Reduction, Gradient Boosting, K-means Clustering, Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, Random Forests, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Time Series, Time Series Analysis, Data Scientist, Spanish, Statistical Learning, Deep Learning, CMOS Image Sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software Development, Programming, Signal Processing, University Teaching, Computer Vision, AI Agents, Agentic AI, Transformers, Computational Photography, Hand Tracking, Augmented Reality (AR), HDR Photography, Qt 4, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Translation, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Deployment, Robotics
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