This is Ahmet Selim!

Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, and Guitar Enjoyer

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  • Profile picture
  • Name: Ahmet Selim Çanakçı
  • M.Sc School: University of Freiburg
  • Alma Mater: Bilkent University
  • Age:
  • Interests: Autonomous Driving, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Robotics, Software Engineering

I am a software engineer with a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Freiburg, where I specialized in robot learning and computer vision. I conducted my master’s thesis in the robotics group under Prof. Dr. Abhinav Valada and my master’s project in the computer vision group led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Brox. I have also worked under Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard’s laboratory. My research focuses on developing intelligent robotic systems, including quadruped locomotion, domain-adaptable traversability estimation, and multi-modal sensor fusion using vision foundation models.

Previously, I earned my bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a minor degree in computer science from Bilkent University. Throughout my career, I have worked on robotics perception, SLAM, and deep learning applications, contributing to both academic research and open-source projects. My technical expertise includes Python, PyTorch, ROS/ROS2, and distributed training, and I am passionate about advancing AI-driven autonomous robotics systems.

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My Education

  • University of Freiburg

    Master of Science (M.Sc.) | October 2021 - September 2024

    Program: Computer Science

    Thesis: Label-Efficient LiDAR Panoptic Segmentation with 2D Annotations

    Project: Visually Guided Natural Sound Generation

  • Bilkent University

    Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) | September 2016 - June 2021

    Program: Mechanical Engineering

    Minor: Computer Science

My Experience

  • University of Freiburg

    Robot Learning Laboratory of Uni Freiburg Robotics Engineer | Freiburg, Germany | January 2024 - September 2024

    • Developed new applications for a quadruped robot using state-of-the-art methods.
    • Developed domain adaptable traversability estimation network leveraging vision foundation models. (Paper will be published soon)
    • Maintained hardware and software for optimal robot performance.
    • Used sensor data (LiDAR, Camera, IMU, GPS) in vision tasks like perception, mapping, and navigation.
    • Supervisors: Iana Zhura, Prof. Dr. Abhinav Valada

    Deep Learning Engineer | Freiburg, Germany | October 2022 - January 2024

    • Implemented state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms into open-source robotics library OpenDR on GitHub.
    • Developed asynchronous visual-SLAM algorithms optimized for domain adaptation with continual learning.
    • Developed visual-LiDAR depth prediction model.
    • Supervisors: Niclas Voedisch, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard

  • Cytena (acquired by BICO)

    Student Software Engineer | Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany | November 2021 - August 2022

    • Developed internal scripts for data processing and assisted the software team with custom solutions.
    • Implemented automated REST API tests for E2E and integration testing using PyTest, achieving 90% coverage of the company's core software product.
    • Documented and tracked test activities using XRay and JIRA, ensuring transparency and traceability.

  • Arcelik

    Intern | Remote, Turkey | August 2019 - September 2019

  • Norm Holding

    Intern | Remote, Turkey | July 2019 - August 2019

My Publications

Click on any project tile to learn more. The asterisk (*) denotes equal contribution.

  • Label-Efficient LiDAR Panoptic Segmentation

    A.S. Canakci*, N. Vödisch*, K. Petek, W. Burgard, and A. Valada | arXiv preprint arXiv:., February 2025

  • Textured Surfaces for Oil Droplet Transport

    E.Y. Kirici, M. Naji, A.S. Canakci, E.Y. Erdem | Surfaces and Interfaces, vol. 41, 2023

My Projects

  • OpenDR

    N. Passalis*, S. Pedrazzi, R. Babuska, A.S. Canakci, et al.

  • Clustering Segmentation on iBOT

    A.S. Canakci*, J. Rahnfeld*, and B. Ozoge*