Pavel Sumetc

Pavel Sumetc

Senior AI Engineer

I am a software engineer, researcher and scientist with a passion for technologies that bring value. By exploring different tech realms, I have established myself as an expert in artificial intelligence, systems architecture, and software development. I’m all about using the latest tech to solve problems with a creative twist. My experience includes working in academia as a lecturer and scientist, researching and developing new technologies for use in commercial production, coding and writing software tools and systems for deep-tech companies. Having a background in applied mathematics, I love using math and systematic approaches to make software and systems work better and smarter.

The most recent and fascinating journey I have experienced is working at a startup company to create AI-driven autonomous digital people with real-time interaction. My job was developing a technology stack to drive real-time 3D animation, modelling digital agent behavior and understanding user intents and emotional states. It was an invaluable experience that required the ability to connect arts and deep tech, communicate with artists, social scientists, software engineers and a product team to bring it to life. Imagination and creativity were materialized in new patented technologies and successful commercial products.


I am open to offer my expertise in animation technology and natural language processing for collaboration and consultation services. Whether you’re looking to breathe life into captivating 3D animations or seeking to enhance your AI-driven virtual assistants, I’m here to provide innovative solutions and guidance. Let’s embark on a journey to create engaging, cutting-edge experiences together, combining the magic of animation technology with the power of NLP to transform your projects into something truly remarkable.

Interests
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • 3D animation technologies
  • NLP and AI driven virtual assistants
  • Computer vision
  • Computational methods
  • Systems and software development
Education
  • PhD in Engineering Science, 2017

    The University of Auckland, New Zealand

  • MS in Applied Mathematics, 2000

    Voronezh State University, Russia

Skills

Software Engineering
C++
OpenCV
Eigen
Python
Scikit-learn
Keras
PyTorch
spaCy
LangChain
Unity
Maya

MEL scripting language

Git
Jenkins
Technology stack
Developing and coding solution algorithms

expertise in modelling mechanical systems

Computational geometry and optimization techniques
Embodied virtual agent technology stack

3D animation, text to speech, text to gesture, agent behaviour modelling

3D geometrical shape processing and computer animation

4 patented technologies

Expertise in signal processing techniques
Machine learning techniques

Computer Vision, Generative Models, NLP, NLU, LLM

Sentiment Analysis, Recommender and Dialog Systems
Systems architecture and software development
Technical product management from ideation to release
SCRUM product owner practices

product roadmap, backlog and release management

Cross-functional team leadership and communication in Agile environment
Hobbies
Performing magic tricks
Hiking
Photography
Spending quality time with my family

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Fuel50
Senior AI Engineer
June 2023 – Present New Zealand

Responsibilities include:

  • Design and develop artificial intelligence models and algorithms for the talent mobility products
  • Develop scalable and efficient AI pipelines and infrastructure
  • Build and maintain robust data processing, exploration, model training and evaluation tools
  • Mentor and coach junior AI engineers and data scientists
 
 
 
 
 
Soul Machines
Technical Product Owner
February 2022 – January 2023 New Zealand
Product Ownership role in Autonomous Animation and Embodied UX teams.
 
 
 
 
 
Soul Machines
Senior Research and Development Engineer II
March 2017 – February 2022 New Zealand

Responsibilities include:

  • Building models and coding algorithms for use with 3D embodied virtual agents
  • Researching in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction
  • Developing software tools and systems
  • Contribute to software infrastructure and processes
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, and marketing to improve customer experience
 
 
 
 
 
Lecturer
Military Aviation Engineering University
September 2005 – March 2013 Voronezh Region, Russian Federation

Courses: Computer Science, Mathematical Modelling Statistics, Computational Methods.

Research projects: Soft Tissue Mechanics, Biological Fluid Dynamics, Computational Hydrodynamics.

 
 
 
 
 
CNC Programmer
Garment manufacturer “Forti”
September 2004 – September 2005 Moscow, Russian Federation
  • Programming knitting patterns for the industrial knitting machine Stoll
  • Maintaining the knitting technological process.

Accomplish­ments

Product Management Foundations
See certificate
Professional Scrum Product Owner I
See certificate
Coursera
How to Manage a Remote Team
GitLab through Coursera
See certificate
Coursera
Agile Software Development
University of Minnesota through Coursera
See certificate
Coursera
Engineering Practices for Building Quality Software
University of Minnesota through Coursera
See certificate

Projects

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3D shape reconstruction
Reconstruction of 3D facial geometry and head motion from 2D images.
Avatar animation technologies
Avatar 3D animation engine for driving real-time avatar-user interaction.
NLP and sentiment analysis
Multimodal sentiment analysis including textual and visual data.