She has worked with various organizations and companies like Defense Research and

Development Organization (DRDO), Tevatron Technologies Private Limited, STMicroelectronics in the past.

Riyya’s journey in the technology industry began during her undergraduate years in India when she pursued a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Determined to expand her horizons beyond the classroom, she embarked on a year-long research project along with one of her classmates at the time, that led to the publication of her paper, titled “Android App Controlled Multi-Purpose Robot using 8051 microcontroller.” It’s a robot that can take on various different types of functionalities and is a good model for students learning Robotics and Engineering due to its simplistic design. This innovative robot, designed for versatility and cost-efficiency, garnered recognition at the Springer conference, where Riyya, still an undergraduate student at the time, stood out as the youngest presenter among seasoned PhD scholars.

Building on her success, Riyya secured admission to the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), for a master’s program (Master of Science, MS) in Electrical and Computer Engineering. During her tenure at UCLA, she engaged in a variety of impactful projects. Notable among them are “Adaptive Model streaming on resource-constrained edge devices for object detection”, that utilizes various deep-learning models for object detection, like YOLO and

MobileNet, which aims to train a lightweight model at a deployment side by means of a heavier and more accurate model at the server side. Another project that she has explored is “Same Body Authentication,” a project which uses Android application and Android controlled gadgets like mobile phones, smartwatch and earables for gathering sensor data, authentication, and detection of theft, surpassing Bluetooth signaling speed. Additionally, she contributed to the “Classification of EEG (brain signal) Dataset” using CNN and CRNN models.

Riyya further honed her skills during an internship at STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader. In the sensors team, she leveraged her expertise in the fields of Embedded Systems, Firmware, and Data Analysis. Her standout achievement at STMicroelectronics was conceptualizing and developing an automation tool that became an integral part of the team’s testing process, enhancing its robustness and efficiency.

Riyya’s journey was marked by her exceptional academic performance, earning her partial scholarships during her studies at UCLA. She also served as a Teaching Assistant, mentoring undergraduate students in the fields of Physics and Engineering, where she imparted her knowledge of microcontrollers and data analysis and served as a key mentor to them in their technical projects, exhibiting her commitment to knowledge sharing and mentorship.

Now, as a Software Engineer at Brooks Automation, Riyya continues to thrive in the semiconductor and automation industry. Brooks Automation is a renowned company in the USA in the field of Semiconductor and Automation. At Brooks, she has been a driving force

within the systems software team for atmospheric product lines, playing a pivotal role in code development. She has made significant contributions in several projects and product lines, benefiting some of the top semiconductor equipment manufacturers and computer chip fabrication companies. Furthermore, she has had a key role in the test automation project, and her involvement has streamlined the testing process, making it more robust and time efficient.

Beyond her technical prowess, Riyya has excelled as a mentor to junior engineers, aiding them in software design and development and is appreciated by her colleagues for her valuable inputs. She has also participated in the hiring process at her company, solidifying her reputation as a consummate professional in her field.

As a socially conscious person, Riyya’s commitment to giving back to society is evident through her volunteer work with NGOs and teaching underprivileged children subjects like English, Hindi and Mathematics. Her aspiration to make a lasting impact on the world remains a driving force in her career.

Riyya Hari Iyer’s ambitions are set on a path to continue her work in the fields of Robotics, Semiconductors, and AI. She aims to expand her technical knowledge and soft skills, working toward her entrepreneurial dreams within these domains. With the confidence that she has a long journey ahead, Riyya is dedicated to making significant contributions to her field in the coming years.