Vlad Trifa

As a young, dynamic and creative researcher in robotics and intelligent learning systems, I'd like to expand my knowledge towards the "real world", outside of a lab. I am eager to learn about the processes that link bright innovative ideas with concrete marketed products.

With very good communications skills and languages knowledge (I speak fluently French, German, English and Romanian, I understand Italian and Spanish, and I'm currently an intermediate Japanese learner), I enjoy interacting with people from any cultural and educational backgrounds, and help them solve their problems the best I can with my knowledge and willingness to learn about our society, and how new technolgies shape it.

Vlad Trifa’s Specialties:

Intelligent Information Systems, Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience, Artificial and Swarm Intelligence, Robotics, Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks and other Embedded Systems. Strong skills in algorithmics and software engineering.

Vlad Trifa’s Experience

Co-founder

Web Of Things.com

(Information Technology and Services industry)

January 2009 — Present (7 months)

We are about to launch a web site about the future of the Web, namely the Web of Things. For now, this web site is principally a research blog, with new products and projects in this field. But soon... very soon... something else.
Researcher

SAP Research

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

May 2007 — Present (2 years 3 months)

Researcher in smart collaborative items and their applications in business processes.
Research assistant

ETH Zürich

(Educational Institution; Research industry)

May 2007 — Present (2 years 3 months)

PhD student with the Institute for Pervasive Computing. My topic is the Web of Things, that is how to use common Web technologies (RSS, REST, XML, semantic web) to easily integrate the real world in the already existing Internet.
Scientific collaborator

University of California Los Angeles

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; UCLA; Computer Software industry)

August 2005 — Present (4 years)

Researcher at the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) with Prof. Deborah Estrin and the department of biology with Prof. Charles Taylor. Development of set of tools to perform bird species' songs detection, recognition, and localization using distributed sensor networks.
Research Associate

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

(Government Agency; Computer Software industry)

September 2008 — December 2008 (4 months)
Researcher

ATR International Research Center, Kyoto

(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Computer Software industry)

April 2006 — April 2007 (1 year 1 month)

Research in human-robot multimodal interaction using audio-visual information integration.
Research assistant

Swarm Intelligent Research Group

(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Computer Software industry)

August 2004 — May 2006 (1 year 10 months)

Assistant Swarm Intelligent Research Group at the EPFL, Responsible of the hardware upgrade of a robotic platform, configuration of an embedded linux on a pc/104 low-power motherboard. Development of a mini sensor node for micro-robot. Software developement for an embedded camera for sensor nodes.
Full developpement of a collective Sound Localization software on sensor networks (crossbow motes).
Photojournalist

Daily Bruin

(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Newspapers industry)

October 2005 — March 2006 (6 months)

Photojournalist at the top US college newpaper (daily circulation 30.000). Published over 10 pictures on the front page. Enjoyed learning a lot about work in a newspaper, and about medias in general.

Vlad Trifa’s Education

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

PhD , Computer Science , 2007 — 2011 (expected)

PhD student at the Institute for Pervasive Computing at ETH Zurich.
University of California, Los Angeles

Master of Science Project , Computer Science and Biology , 2005 — 2006
Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

M. Sc. , Computer Science , 2001 — 2006

Additional Information

Vlad Trifa’s Websites:

Vlad Trifa’s Interests:

Litterature, arts, snowboarding, martial arts, world cultures and food, Burgundy wine and Islay Scotch, Japanese swords, photography

Vlad Trifa’s Groups:

Member of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Mediamatic RFID workshops, Supporter of Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Reporters without Borders (RSF), and several swiss art and photography associations (Kunsthaus Zurich, Museum of Design zurich, fotomuseum winterthur, association focale, Musée de l'Elysée Lausanne, etc), Volounteer at several Swiss Music Festivals (Montreux Jazz Festival, Bex Rock, Paléo, Baleinev, etc).