Mechatronics & Industrial Engineer

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Product Management  ·  Robotics  ·  Autonomous Systems  ·  Mechatronics

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Álvaro Ávila

// about me

Where engineering depth meets product leadership

I'm Álvaro — a European engineer originally from Madrid, currently based in Munich (previously Hamburg). I specialise in product management and full lifecycle development of complex technology products — particularly robotic, automation, and software systems built for large industrial clients.

My background spans the full hardware-software stack: from mechatronics design and system integration to ROS2 robotics, autonomous navigation, and agentic AI. I've gone from writing C++ for autonomous driving simulators to owning the product roadmap of a 1,600+ active robot fleet — working alongside leading organisations like BMW, Airbus, Nvidia, and Fraunhofer.

4+ Years of professional experience
10+ Years of software development
1,600+ Active robots managed
4+ Languages spoken

// capabilities

What I work with

Robotics Software

End-to-end mobile robotics development with ROS2 and Nav2. Multi-robot fleet navigation, SLAM, path planning, safety systems, and simulation for industrial environments.

ROS2Nav2SLAMC++

Product Management

Full product lifecycle ownership from concept to production. Roadmap definition, NPI coordination, stakeholder management, and hardware-software integration for complex systems.

RoadmappingNPIHW/SW IntegrationDesign

Autonomous Systems

Multi-robot coordination, autonomous driving, sensor fusion, communication systems, mission allocation, and fleet management for complex robotic platforms.

SimulationComputer VisionMulti-AgentSystem Integration

Embedded & Systems

System design for IoT devices, communication protocols, and hardware-software integration. Development across embedded platforms from concept to production.

IoTPLCsCommunication ProtocolsEmbedded Software

AI & Automation

Agentic AI workflow design, LLM integration, model fine-tuning, and full-stack SaaS deployment across multiple applications.

AgenticLLMsTensorFlowSaaS

Software Development

C/C++, Python, Qt/QML, Git, Bash, and Linux. Experience building production-grade systems with SiL pipelines and scalable architectures.

C++PythonQt/QMLLinux

// selected work

Projects

Click any project to expand details

Featured
iw.hub AMR — top-down view
Product Management

AMR Fleet — iw.hub & Robotics Platform

End-to-end Product Ownership of idealworks' AMR product line (iw.hub), the flagship robotics product of a BMW and Agile Robots joint venture. Leading the product development and scaling of a complex robotics platform across hardware and software, from early-stage product structuring to mature, cross-functional delivery. Focused on aligning product strategy with operational constraints, enabling fleet growth, and improving execution efficiency across engineering, operations, and key stakeholders.

Product OwnershipAMRFleet ManagementNPIBMW
idealworks.com
Robotics / MAPF

Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) for Industrial AMRs

Dynamic MAPF architecture for automated aircraft manufacturing at Fraunhofer IFAM. Built for AMRs carrying variable-footprint payloads — robotic arms, fuselage sections, aircraft seats. Custom ROS2/Nav2 costmap layers handle real-time footprint projection and path prediction, with a Gazebo digital twin of the factory for simulation-based validation. Master's thesis; research under scientific review.

ROS2Nav2C++MAPFGazeboSLAMRviz
Autonomous Systems

Autonomous Driving Simulation Platform

I contributed to a proprietary simulation platform used to validate AI-driven navigation systems under realistic and configurable conditions. The platform integrated Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) pipelines, enabling continuous testing of autonomous behaviors. My main contributions focused on extending simulation tools, interactivity and scenario complexity, improving the realism and controllability of test environments.

C++ROSQt/QMLLiDARPoint CloudJenkins
Robotics / SLAM

Autonomous Mapping & Navigation in a Quadruped Robot

Validated autonomous SLAM and navigation models on a small-scale robodog (Petoi Bittle + RPLidar A1) with the goal of scaling the same algorithms to Boston Dynamics Spot or Unitree robots for real building environments — generating accurate as-built BIM models from autonomous indoor scans.

ROSHector SLAMLiDARPythonRaspberry PiBIM
Robotics

Gesture-Controlled Underwater Drone — BlueRov II

In this project, I developed advanced navigation and control capabilities for an underwater robotic platform based on the BlueROV2. The system introduced intuitive human-robot interaction through gesture recognition, enabling divers to command the robot in real time without physical interfaces. The project demonstrated the feasibility of combining computer vision, underwater localization, and trajectory planning in highly constrained environments.

PythonOpenCVROSBlueRov IIComputer Vision
AI / Research

Privacy-Preserving AI with Blockchain (Federated Learning)

Decentralised ML architecture for smart buildings: IoT edge clients train models locally and share only weight updates — never raw data. Blockchain (Polygon/Ethereum, Ocean Protocol) enforces cryptographic integrity and trustless coordination. Built around a simulated smart chemical lab; eliminates single-point data exposure while maintaining global model accuracy.

PythonFlower (flwr)BlockchainIoTTensorFlowEthereum
IoT / Domotics & VoIP

Smart IoT Intercom Retrofit

Low-cost IoT retrofit for a traditional 5-wire building intercom, enabling remote door answering and access control from any smartphone worldwide. Runs a local Asterisk VoIP PBX — no third-party servers or commercial hubs. GPIO-triggered calls, relay-controlled door lock, original wall handset fully preserved.

Raspberry PiIoTVoIPAsteriskSIPPython
Web Development / SaaS

SaaS Platform Workflow — Web Development Suite

Full-stack web development suite structured around a modular SaaS workflow covering client acquisition funnels, subscription and billing model setup, and service diagnostics. Designed with a reusable, project-agnostic architecture — intended for deployment in own projects and as an adaptable template to deliver to different clients as a turnkey service solution.

Full-stackSaaSSubscriptionsWeb AppTemplate
AI / Software

Prompt-to-Video Multilingual Content Pipeline

Developed a productive end-to-end software pipeline that transforms a single text prompt into ready-to-publish video content across multiple languages and platform formats. Handles automated scriptwriting, voice synthesis, visual generation, subtitle translation, and format adaptation for different social media channels — from one input to a fully produced, localised asset.

PythonLLMsTTSFFmpegVideo AIMulti-language
Software / Bioinformatics

Genetic Privacy Analyser

This project focused on developing a privacy-first software solution for analyzing consumer genetic data from providers such as 23andMe. The system was designed to process sensitive DNA data entirely locally, eliminating the need for external data sharing and addressing major privacy concerns associated with third-party genetic analysis services.

PythonBioinformaticsPrivacy-by-designData AnalysisVisualisation
Security Research / Embedded

Bluetooth Signal Jammer

This project was a controlled cybersecurity research initiative aimed at evaluating the robustness of legacy Bluetooth devices against signal disruption and denial-of-service scenarios. The findings highlighted significant vulnerabilities in older Bluetooth standards, demonstrating the need for improved security mechanisms in low-energy wireless communications.

Embedded CRFBluetoothSignal ProcessingAntenna Design
Robotics / Embedded

3D-Printed Robotic Arm

This early-stage robotics project focused on developing fundamental control algorithms for a servo-driven robotic arm. The goal was to explore trajectory programming and motion control principles in a simplified hardware setup, including recording and replaying motion sequences across multiple coordinated actuators.

Embedded CServomotors3D PrintingMotor ControlKinematics
Software — Pre-LLM Era

WhatsApp Chat Statistics Analyser

This project was developed as a data analysis exercise to extract behavioral insights from messaging platforms. It provided detailed statistics on user activity, interaction patterns, and communication dynamics within group chats, including message frequency, peak activity periods, media-sharing behavior, and basic natural language processing to estimate conversation tone.

PythonpandasNLPData AnalysisVisualisation

// career

Experience

Product Owner / Product Manager — Robotics

idealworks — BMW & Agile Robots Joint Venture · Munich, Germany
Jan 2025 — Now

Managed the full lifecycle of the iw.hub — the flagship AMR product and primary revenue driver of the company's robotics portfolio. Contributed to building the product department from the ground up, establishing processes and structures in an early-stage environment. Took control of product and delivery processes, designing workflows that increased feature delivery capacity and reduced release delays. Supported and enabled the scaling of the active fleet to 1,600+ robots throughout 2025. Reduced friction with key internal and external stakeholders. Led NPI for new products and peripherals, coordinating engineering, supply chain, and quality. Supported relationships with key partners and customers.

Product OwnershipAMRNPIStakeholder Mgmt
idealworks.com

Software Engineer — Process Automation & Agentic AI

Freelance · Hamburg, Germany
Jul 2024 — Dec 2024

Designed and deployed software solutions, automating complex workflows and reducing operational costs. Built and launch-tested monetizable SaaS products — including content generation tools (automated integrating agentic AI, Social Network automation and LLMs) and a purpose agnostic architecture platform with multi-agent orchestration, automated pipelines involving AI Agents and LLMs, and subscription billing. Development covering architecture design, cloud deployment, and cost controls.

Agentic AILLMsPythonSaaSFull-stack

Mobile Robotics — Research Assistant

Fraunhofer IFAM · Stade, Germany
May 2023 — Jul 2024

Architected full-stack ROS2 robotics software for omnidirectional mobile robots (MPO-700) to automate Airbus aircraft manufacturing. Implemented multi-robot navigation with CBS-based conflict resolution and costmap optimisations. Developed Rviz plugins for fleet management UIs and 3D simulation environments in Gazebo. Authored master's thesis on footprint-aware multi-robot path planning, and co-authored research under review for scientific publication.

ROS2Nav2C++SLAMGazeboAirbus
Fraunhofer IFAM

C++ Software Engineer — Autonomous Driving

ibeo Automotive Systems & MicroVision Inc. · Hamburg, Germany
May 2022 — Apr 2023

Developed C++ modules for autonomous driving systems and simulators using ROS. Built Qt/QML interfaces and plugins, pedestrian simulation toolkits, and event-trigger modules based on vehicle position. Worked extensively with point cloud and LiDAR data. Operated in full Agile teams with Git, Jenkins, Confluence, and Jira.

C++ROSQt/QMLLiDARAgileDevOps
MicroVision

// academic background

Education

2021 – 2024
M.Sc. Mechatronics Engineering
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) — Hamburg, Germany

Advanced programme combining rigorous theoretical foundations in mechanical, electrical, control, and computer engineering with technically demanding applied projects. Specialised in Intelligent Systems & Robotics — covering autonomous systems, AI, computer vision, ROS, and embedded platforms. Thesis on footprint-aware multi-robot path planning using CBS-based conflict resolution and costmap optimisation for industrial AMRs, developed at Fraunhofer IFAM in collaboration with Airbus to automate their manufacturing operations. Research co-authored for scientific publication.

TUHH
2020 – 2021
Erasmus — Mechatronics Engineering
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) — Hamburg, Germany

International exchange programme focused on Mechatronics, Control Theory, and Software Engineering applied to embedded systems. Developed bachelor's thesis jointly between UPM (Madrid) and TUHH (Hamburg).

TUHH
2015 – 2021
B.Eng. Industrial Technologies Engineering
Technical University of Madrid (UPM — ETSII) — Madrid, Spain

240 ECTS multidisciplinary engineering degree — one of Spain's most rigorous and comprehensive industrial engineering programmes, with significant depth in mechanical engineering covering mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, fluid dynamics, and structural analysis. Specialised in Electronics and Automation, with coursework in embedded systems, control systems, and robotics. Thesis on an IoT-based embedded system for home automation.

ETSII UPM

// let's connect

Open to opportunities
& collaborations

Looking for a product leader with deep robotics engineering roots, or a technical collaborator for your next autonomous systems project? Let's talk.

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