Simone Contorno
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Robotics Software Engineer · Autonomous Systems · ROS2
Robotics Software Engineer
Robotics Software Engineer currently at Lemvos (Augsburg), building the full autonomy stack for USV platforms: autonomous navigation (ROS2/Nav2), EKF-based sensor fusion (GNSS + IMU), image segmentation on NVIDIA Jetson Orin, production-grade lifecycle drivers, and a custom Foxglove extension for autonomous goal control and vessel monitoring. Validated in lake and sea trials on the LM450.
Previously: NMPC in C++ on ROS2 deployed on a real Renault Zoe at LS2N (Nantes). Before that, 75% ECU test automation uplift on premium OEM projects at Enginium.
I hold a double Master's in Robotics Engineering and Advanced Robotics (University of Genoa + École Centrale de Nantes, EMARO+ program) and a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering (University of Genoa).
- City: Augsburg, Germany
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GitHub Repositories
Skills
Skills are rated on a scale from 1 to 4, where: 1: Beginner, 2: Intermediate, 3: Advanced, 4: Expert.
Technical Skills
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Professional Experience
Robotics Software Engineer
07.2025 - Present
Lemvos GmbH - Augsburg, Germany
- Architected and deployed the full autonomous guidance stack for the LM450 USV (ROS2, Nav2, EKF): multi-sensor state estimation (GNSS + IMU), manual/autonomous mode switching, path planning, dual-thruster control, and AIS/sonar data integration; validated through lake and sea trials.
- Upgraded camera, GNSS, and IMU drivers to ROS2 lifecycle architecture with integrated watchdog recovery; resolved a driver bug that reduced CPU usage by 3.6%.
- Performed Jetson Orin kernel customization for AutomatePro controller compatibility, enabling full-stack hardware integration.
- Optimized the perception and navigation pipeline: ported Inverse Perspective Mapping from Python to C++ (-6.4% CPU); migrated Nav2 nodes to a unified ROS2 component container using intra-process communication (-5% CPU).
- Deployed real-time image segmentation on NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX (Isaac ROS): integrated and fine-tuned a pre-trained model using a custom-annotated dataset (CVAT + SAM), converted to TensorRT for on-device inference.
- Built a Foxglove Studio extension for autonomous navigation goal and waypoint control, manual operation, cruise control, and live AIS/sonar data visualization via WebSocket.
- Established system observability (Grafana, Loki, Prometheus), automated 10+ Debian package deployments via GitHub Actions CI/CD, and managed production network connectivity with multi-WAN failover and Tailscale VPN for remote access.
- Mentored a student over 6 months on autonomous navigation — from Gazebo simulation to real hardware deployment — including PR review, code refactoring, and ROS2 architecture guidance.
Software Test & Integration Engineer - Automotive (Premium OEM Projects)
11.2023 - 07.2025
Enginium S.r.l. - Ingolstadt, Germany
- Automated 75% of ECU test cases by developing Python wrappers and scripting macros, significantly increasing test coverage and improving overall team efficiency.
- Executed black-box diagnosis testing of control units in real vehicles, applying checklist-based protocols and trace analysis.
- Participated in Agile-based test planning using Jira, supporting sprint activities, task tracking, and coordination within a 30+ member international team.
- Mentored junior team members in test tool usage and trace analysis.
Robotics Engineer Intern. - Self Driving Vehicles (Research)
02.2023 - 08.2023
Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes (LS2N) - Nantes, France
- Designed and implemented a Nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (NMPC) in C++ using ROS2, achieving real-time performance with sub-20 ms control cycle times on autonomous vehicle platforms.
- Performed system integration, debugging, and code reviews for robotic and automotive platforms.
- Integrated NMPC on ROSbot 2R and Renault Zoe, ensuring compatibility across sensors, control modules, and simulation environments.
Education
M.Sc in Advanced Robotics
09.2022 - 08.2023
Master's degree - University of Nantes, France
- Developed a thesis project on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) for autonomous vehicles, implementing real-time control algorithms in C++ and Python within the ROS2 framework on Linux, focusing on trajectory planning and simulation.
- Completed hands-on laboratories using C++ and Python in ROS/ROS2.
- Acquiring strong foundations in robotics, control theory, and simulation, emphasizing algorithm implementation, sensor integration, and testing in virtual environments.
M.Eng in Robotics Engineering
09.2021 - 06.2022
Master's degree - University of Genoa, Italy
- Specialized in robotics software development in ROS, using C++ and Python.
- Explored robotics control systems using MATLAB and Simulink.
- Studied fundamentals of Manipulator Control, Machine Learning, Mobile Robots, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
B.Eng in Computer Engineering
09.2018 - 06.2021
Bachelor's degree - University of Genoa, Italy
- Developed a thesis on runtime monitoring of YARP (Yet Another Robot Platform) modules, implementing monitoring logic and diagnostics in C++ on Linux-based systems.
- Gaining solid experience in software development using C++ and Java, applying object-oriented principles across academic and project-based contexts.
- Explored simulated control systems using MATLAB and Simulink, analysing dynamic behaviour and validating control algorithms in virtual environment.
Certifications
AI Engineering Professional Certificate & Generative AI Engineering with LLMs Specialization
01.2025 - 07.2025
IBM
- Practical experience with supervised and unsupervised learning, model evaluation, and deployment using Python, Scikit-learn, PyTorch, Keras, and TensorFlow.
- Understanding of LLM architectures, fine-tuning techniques, and transformer-based pipelines for NLP applications.
- Hands-on development of AI agents using RAG, LangChain, and Hugging Face tools.
Certified Tester Foundation Level
10.2024
ISTQB
- Understanding of software testing principles, test planning, and test execution processes.
- Overview of test design methods, such as boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning.
- Knowledge of defect identification, reporting, and lifecycle management, ensuring high-quality software outputs.
Languages
Languages are rated on a scale from 1 to 4, where: 1: Basic (A1/A2), 2: Independent (B1/B2), 3: Proficient (C1/C2), 4: Native.
