Résumé of Damien Douxchamps

Damien Douxchamps

Damien Douxchamps (ダミアン ドゥシャン) is an out-of-the-box thinker, hands-on computer vision expert, hardware artisan and entrepreneur with a 25 years career in aerospace, automotive, augmented reality (AR), user interaction, multi-touch displays, camera calibration and fundamental research. He received his PhD in electrical engineering from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in 2004. He single-handedly created the world's first true multi-touch LCD table when working at Cyberdyne. In 2013 he co-founded Augumenta, the AR interaction company, where he is now head of research. He lives in Kyoto where he spends his (little) spare time as an artisan photographer, hardware hacker and scuba diver. (Linkedin)

Core competencies

  • Hands-on computer vision: 2D/3D measurements, interactive systems, robotics and other real-time applications. Examples: Multi-touch systems, camera calibration, laser ranging, face detection, hybrid and multi-camera systems, tracking, 3D reconstruction, high-speed video measurements, robotics, augmented reality and HMI, AR markers and accurate positioning.
  • Electronics: R&D, prototyping, analogue/digital design, PCB design, repair, construction, integration. Test & measurement instrumentation gearhead.
  • Imaging: cameras and optical hardware, scientific/technical applications, camera control and video capture, active vision systems, exotic hardware such as line-san, high-speed, infrared and 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF). Several contributions to the IIDC Specifications from the 1394 Trade Association.
  • Software development: git, Linux systems (including contribution to the Kernel), user-space drivers and libraries, open-source software, Android.
  • Mechanics: basic frames and structures, metal-sheet, machining, prototyping, SolidWorks.
  • Entrepreneurship: startups, fundraising & shareholder relations, board operation, conflict resolution, negotiation. Invited judge for the 2019 International Negotiation Challenge (TNC).


Main Experience and Achievements

Dates
Role / Company
Description
2014-2023 Co-founder and Head of Research

Augumenta

Co-founder, shareholder and investor in Augumenta, the augmented reality (AR) interaction company. Researched and productised all the computer vision-based AR and interaction methods launched by the company: AR control panels, AR markers, gesture interaction, palm-based user interfaces, accurate camera-based 3D positioning and 3D ToF finger detection. Real-time video processing on the limited capabilities of wearables like smartglasses. Participated in customer app development (Android) and demonstrations. Major role in sales, marketing, management, funding, project management and HR, always bringing a dose of cool and common sense to sometimes heated business discussions. Our AR control panel was rated by Siemens as "the only industrial AR interaction that works" and is protected by two patents. Sample product videos: SmartPanel 1, SmartPanel 2, SmartMarkers.
2008-2013 Senior researcher

Cyberdyne (サイバーダイン)

Single-handedly researched, designed and built the world's first large multi-touch LCD table, boasting low profile, high speed, unlimited touch points and hand-print analysis capabilities. Touched all aspects of design, prototyping and production, including computer vision, optics, structural, mechanical, electronics, supplier contacts, assembly, camera control, thermal management and machining. Participated in all sales and marketing efforts. De-facto product owner. Youtube interview, product at CES2011. This role included a partial assignment as Invited Researcher at the Tsukuba University (筑波大学), COE Cybernics Program
2006-2007 Postdoctoral investigator

Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR), Department of Acoustics and Speech Research

Design of a real-time face detection and tracking system for semi-controlled situations using a special 360-degrees cylindrical camera. A very high detection rate (>96% typ.) was reached while keeping the false positive rate at a negligible level (<0.1%). This was used downstream for the analysis of people's non-verbal activity during meetings.
2005-2006 Postdoctoral investigator

National Taiwan University (NTU),
Hydrotech Research Institute

Geometric measurements of water and sediment flows using cameras and laser sheet imaging.
2004-2008 Postdoctoral investigator
Assistant Professor

Nara Institute of Science and Technology
(NAIST, 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学)
,
Image Processing Laboratory

Invented the most robust and accurate geometric camera calibration algorithm, a cornerstone of precise image-based measurements. Very high accuracy was achieved (0.002 pixel RMS error) while simultaneously exhibiting an exceptionally high robustness to noise, compression and other artefacts. Also performed early pioneer work on dual-laser-line 3D reconstruction, which has is now a commercially available and common tool for scanning 3D parts.
2000-2004 Advisor and founding member

Alterface S.A., Belgium

Participated in the founding of Alterface, a startup of the Université catholique de Louvain’s Telecom Laboratory which pioneered augmented reality and mixed reality interaction. Contributions to the company’s code base, included real time image processing, segmentation, MMX/SSE optimizations, as well as camera capture and control. Involved in demonstrations and customer installations.
1998-2004 Research Assistant

UCL, Communications Lab

Axial on-board detection of aircraft wake vortices using an infra-red lidar and flight testing with Airbus (EU IWAKE project) Proposed a new spectral model for the Doppler return leading to the world first in-flight axial detection of wake vortices. The success of the project led to more EU-funded projects for the laboratory.
Invented a novel road-side traffic monitoring system using high-speed line-scan cameras. This technique allows numerous measurements from a single sensor: speed, acceleration, size and even inter-vehicle distances. Accuracy suitable for law-enforcement applications.
Design of a structure-from-motion system for road monitoring applications within the MODEST project. Responsible for camera calibration, 3D reconstruction (matching,...) and daily project management.


On the Side

Dates
Role / Company
Description
1999 - present Developer and maintainer

Open Source projects

Main coder and maintainer for three open-source projects related to industrial camera control: libvisca, libdc1394 and coriander, leading to becoming well known in the computer vision community. Active participation in the Linux drivers development for IEEE1394 cameras, including patch submissions to the Linux Kernel. Important contacts with hardware manufacturers and participation in the evolution of the IIDC standard.
2010 - present Freelance photographer

Lonely Planet Images, Getty Images
and Robert Harding

Travel and editorial photography focusing on Japanese gardens, festivals and other sights of Kyoto. Deep understanding of the technical aspects of photography, a decisive asset for computer vision.
August 2001 Sonar Technician

CERES and
Deep Sea Exploration PLC

Participated in the search for a 16th century Spanish galleon wreck in the English Channel, an expedition led by Robert Stenuit.
1994-1999 Designer

Collège Saint Pierre, Uccle

Design of a low-cost, high accuracy pH-meter for college use. Modular system, all in SMD technology. 30 devices built, several sold to other schools. Also designed of a push-first-to-win system for a local quiz-show. The system displays order of pushes and is based on high-speed asychronous pulses.
1997-1998 Lead Designer

Junior Ingenieur Conseil (JIC ASBL)

Design of a modernized control system for an multi-batch automated migro-gram pharmaceutical pill balance. Reverse engineering of the older control system and re-implementation in a mode modern (for the time) CPLD. Some pictures are available here.
1994 Software Developer

HP-Club Belgium

Design of a numeric solver (MeNu) and a statistical solver ($martStat) for the Hewlett-Packard HP48 series calculators, both related to BA courses. Head of the Club in 1995.


Education

Dates
Degree Earned
Comments
2000-2004 Ph.D Thesis title: ''Multidimensional Photogrammetry of Short-Lived Events''
1993-1998 Electrical Engineer BA Studies aimed at image processing and electronics. Master thesis: ''Stereometric Reconstruction of the Free Surface Associated to a Flow over Three-Dimensional Antidunes''.
1981-1993 ''Diplôme d'humanités supérieures'' Elementary school and high school


Publications and patents

See my publications page.

Languages

French (native speaker), English (fluent) and Japanese (limited working proficiency)