Chris Au
About Chris Au
Chris Au is a Systems Engineer with extensive experience in autonomous vehicle systems and controls design. He has worked for notable companies including General Motors and Motional, and holds degrees in Mechatronics Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Work at Motional
Chris Au has been employed at Motional as a Systems Engineer since 2020. He works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he focuses on refining system design by identifying critical design metrics based on simulated interactions. His role involves utilizing tools such as Polarion and MagicDraw to guide development and testing through requirement development. He leads the establishment of nominal safety behavior expectations for autonomous vehicle systems, particularly for complex maneuvers like lane changes and unprotected right turns.
Previous Experience at General Motors
Before joining Motional, Chris Au worked at General Motors for a total of five years in two different roles. From 2015 to 2018, he served as a Controls Engineer in Fuel Cell Propulsion at the GPS facility in Pontiac, Michigan. Following this, he worked as a Systems Engineer in Autonomous Steering from 2018 to 2020 at the MPG facility in Milford, Michigan. His experience at General Motors contributed to his expertise in vehicle dynamics and control systems.
Education and Expertise
Chris Au holds a Professional Certificate in Architecture and Systems Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he completed from 2017 to 2018. He also earned a Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto between 2014 and 2015. His undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo, completed from 2009 to 2014. His educational background supports his in-depth experience in controls design, motion planning, and robotics.
Background in Engineering Roles
Chris Au has held various engineering positions prior to his current role at Motional. He worked as an Engineering Assistant in Quality Assurance at BlackBerry for three months in 2010. He also served as a Product Development Engineer in Vehicle Dynamics Simulation at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC for three months in 2013. Additionally, he has experience as a Control Systems Designer at Paul Wurth and as a Software Developer at Symantec, both for three months in 2011 and 2012, respectively. His diverse background has equipped him with a broad skill set in engineering.
Technical Skills and Contributions
Chris Au possesses extensive technical skills in controls design for motion planning, vehicle dynamics, machine learning, convex optimization, and robotics. He refines system designs by leveraging tools such as Matlab and Simian for simulations. His contributions include leading efforts to establish safety behavior expectations for autonomous vehicle systems, ensuring reliable performance in complex driving scenarios.