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Information Technology - Technical Professional of the Year
(Platinum Winner)

PO#

#TBA04511

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Paid

PO Created Date

2025-03-12 06:05:44

Paid Date

2025-03-12 06:06:17

Competition

2025

Season

Entry ID

TBE105014

Entry Submission Date

2025-03-11 11:03:18

Member's Name

Rajani Acharya

Member's Email

reachrajaniacharya@gmail.com

Entry Level

Others

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IF25002 - Technical Professional of the Year

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Project Description

Project Description for Judges

Question 1 : Provide a brief description / background of your nominated organizational, departmental, team, or individual circumstance. (Your response to this question will be used for public display if your entry is awarded.)

Description
Rajani Acharya stands as a distinguished Engineering Manager in Perception at Luminar Technology, spearheading critical advancements in automotive safety through cutting-edge LiDAR technology. With exceptional leadership in algorithm development and system architecture, Rajani has positioned herself at the forefront of autonomous vehicle sensing innovation. Her groundbreaking work on the Sentinel LiDAR system's blockage detection capabilities has revolutionized how vehicles perceive and respond to environmental challenges. By developing sophisticated machine learning algorithms that assess sensor health and dynamically adjust performance based on real-time conditions, Rajani has enabled unprecedented levels of safety and reliability in autonomous driving systems. Her technical expertise spans multiple domains, including ML pipeline development, data collection strategy, and ASPICE-compliant software architecture, making her a versatile technical leader capable of bridging complex engineering challenges with practical automotive applications.
Background
Beginning with a vision to enhance automotive safety, Rajani built and scaled a dedicated team that grew to three members while defining comprehensive roadmaps for sensor technology advancement. Her exceptional work on blockage detection algorithms achieved an impressive 99% detection rate, significantly improving system robustness across challenging environmental conditions including dirt, rain, fog, and snow. Rajani's leadership extended beyond technical implementation to organizing large-scale data collection campaigns and developing sophisticated processing pipelines that extracted meaningful insights from vast datasets. The Sentinel system she helped develop now reaches 60,000 units of LiDARs, including integration into Volvo EX90 vehicles, generating $74 million in sales. Her work has contributed to Volvo's goal of reducing severe accidents by up to 20% through advanced LiDAR technology.
Designed and implemented machine learning algorithms for environmental detection, enabling reliable sensor functionality in adverse conditions
Developed end-to-end ML pipelines from data collection to deployment, ensuring seamless integration across hardware and software teams
Led cross-functional collaboration between firmware, hardware, and validation teams, establishing system-wide reliability
Pioneered visualization tools and KPI tracking systems for continuous performance monitoring and improvement

Question 2 : Outline your nominated organizational, departmental, team, or individual achievements, dated 1-3 years prior, based on your selected categories.

Rajani Acharya has demonstrated exceptional leadership as an Engineering Manager Perception at Luminar Technology, where she built and scaled a dedicated team for the critical Sentinel LiDAR blockage detection system. She successfully grew her team to three members while defining comprehensive roadmaps for both short and long-term development. Rajani's strategic vision ensured the seamless integration of ML algorithms with hardware, firmware, systems, test, and validation teams.
Technical Innovation
Rajani spearheaded the development of sophisticated machine learning algorithms that achieved an impressive detection rate exceeding 99%. Her technical expertise enabled Sentinel to effectively assess sensor health and dynamically adjust performance based on real-time environmental conditions. This innovation was fundamental for multiple use cases, including sensor cleaning, performance monitoring in autonomous systems, and safe system downgrades when needed.
System Architecture & Implementation
As the architect of both system and software components, Rajani designed scalable solutions that ensured smooth cross-functional integration. She organized large-scale data collection campaigns, developed sophisticated data processing pipelines, and created machine learning models leveraging extensive real-world datasets. Rajani's end-to-end ML pipelines encompassed everything from data collection to algorithm design and validation.
Product Impact
Under Rajani's leadership, Sentinel has achieved significant market impact, being deployed in 60,000 LiDAR units, including integration in the Volvo EX90. Her work has contributed to Luminar's revenue generation of 74 million in LiDAR sales and has positioned the company as an industry leader in automotive safety technology.
Key Achievements:
Implemented ASPICE-compliant workflows ensuring structured software development and rigorous system evaluations
Led customer interactions and presented findings to upper management, strengthening stakeholder relationships
Designed visualization tools for monitoring sensor trends and integrated comprehensive test procedures
Successfully transitioned algorithms from Python prototypes to C++ implementations for vehicle deployment
Rajani's exceptional technical leadership and innovation in the Sentinel project have not only advanced Luminar's market position but have made significant contributions to automotive safety technology.

Question 3 : Provide examples of the strategies / plans you have introduced, in order to attain your nominated organizational, departmental, team, or individual achievements. Explain why the highlighted achievements are significant / unique.

Data-Driven Algorithm Development
As Engineering Manager Perception at Luminar Technology, Rajani Acharya implemented a comprehensive strategy for the Sentinel LiDAR system's blockage detection capabilities. She organized large-scale data collection campaigns and established robust processing pipelines to support machine learning models. This methodical approach resulted in over 99% detection rate for environmental interference factors such as dirt, rain, fog, and snow.
Cross-Functional Integration Framework
Rajani designed a seamless system architecture that bridged hardware, firmware, systems, test, and validation teams. By establishing clear interfaces between departments, she ensured blockage detection algorithms were properly integrated within the broader Sentinel ecosystem. This collaborative framework accelerated development cycles while maintaining ASPICE compliance standards for automotive software.
Team Scaling & Mentorship Program
Starting with a foundation team, Rajani expanded to three specialized members while providing structured mentorship. She developed both short-term milestones and long-term vision roadmaps that aligned with company objectives, empowering her team to execute complex technical challenges while growing their skills.
Unique & Significant Achievements
Rajani's blockage detection work for Sentinel represents a pivotal advancement in autonomous vehicle safety. Unlike conventional approaches, her solution actively assesses sensor health and adjusts performance based on real-time environmental conditions. This capability is fundamental for critical use cases, including proactive sensor cleaning and safe system downgrades when conditions compromise functionality.
The impact of her work extends throughout the automotive ecosystem. For end users, her innovations deliver enhanced safety through consistent performance regardless of weather. For Luminar, her work created significant competitive advantages in the market. Most notably, her contributions to Sentinel helped enable Volvo's integration of advanced LiDAR technology, which is expected to reduce severe accidents by up to 20%.
The reach of Rajani's work is substantial, with 60,000 units deployed and 1,800 Volvo EX90 vehicles implementing her technology for 2025, contributing to $74 million in LiDAR sales. Her algorithms' ability to deliver exceptional performance within strict power and computational constraints of automotive-grade hardware demonstrates remarkable technical skill and innovation.

Optional Context for Judges (Not for publication. This section is solely for judges' evaluation.)

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Link	Password Protected	Display (Winner Info)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzd-hLUXWqA	No	Display
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2024/09/19/2025-volvo-ex90-lidar-safety-system/75185644007/	No	Display
https://www.volvocarsvilla.com/en/news/view/how-the-lidar-technology-in-the-volvo-ex90-works/107159	No	Display
https://www.luminartech.com/technology	No	Display
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/304019/through-the-eyes-of-a-volvo-car-the-world-looks-so-much-safer?utm_source=chatgpt.com	No	Display

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