Balajee Kannan
About Balajee Kannan
Balajee Kannan is the Vice President of Autonomy at Motional, where he oversees the integration of mapping and sensor technologies into autonomous vehicle systems. He has extensive experience in the field, having previously held key roles at Argo AI, Amazon, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Current Role at Motional
Balajee Kannan serves as the Vice President of Autonomy at Motional, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he oversees the development and integration of advanced autonomy systems for self-driving vehicles. Kannan's focus is on creating scalable solutions that enable rapid deployment of autonomous technologies. His leadership is directed towards teams that are developing Level 4 autonomy solutions, which allow vehicles to operate without human intervention.
Previous Experience at Argo AI
Before joining Motional, Balajee Kannan worked at Argo AI from 2018 to 2022. He held several positions, including Lead Technical Program Manager and Senior Staff Technical Program Manager. During his tenure, Kannan was responsible for overseeing the integration of mapping and sensor technologies into autonomous vehicle systems. His experience at Argo AI spanned three years, contributing significantly to the company's technical program management.
Academic Background
Balajee Kannan has a strong academic foundation in computer science and robotics. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from the University of Madras from 1996 to 2000. He later pursued a PhD in Robotics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from 2003 to 2007. His educational background has equipped him with the necessary skills to excel in the field of autonomous systems.
Experience in Robotics and Research
Kannan's career includes significant roles in robotics and research. He worked as a Senior Scientist in Robotics at GE Global Research from 2012 to 2016. Additionally, he served as a Project Scientist and Research Engineer at Carnegie Mellon University from 2007 to 2012. These positions allowed him to develop expertise in robotics and contribute to various research initiatives in the field.
Technical Program Management at Amazon
From 2016 to 2018, Balajee Kannan worked at Amazon as a Principal Technical Program Manager in Robotics. In this role, he was involved in managing complex technical programs related to robotics, further enhancing his expertise in program management within the technology sector.