David Padilla Orenga
Industrial and mechatronics engineer, specialised in computer vision, AI and robotics. A keen follower of the latest tech and, now, a freelancer.
BSc · Mechanical engineering, mechatronics · INSA Lyon, France
MSc · Industrial engineering · Universitat Jaume I, Spain
MSc · Robotics, graphics and computer vision · UNIZAR, Spain
- Valencia, Spain
- Remote, from anywhere
How I got here
I joined Universitat Jaume I through its honours programme, open only to the top-ranked students of each intake. I started out in industrial engineering, a degree that has you working across many branches of engineering and making them fit together. It gave me a solid grounding and, above all, a multidisciplinary way of thinking and organising my work, which today lets me move between engineering, software and AI without losing sight of the real problem. The programme also opened the door to a double degree with INSA Lyon, one of France's leading engineering schools, where I built on that grounding with far more specific skills, tools and knowledge, this time with an eye on robotics: a degree in mechanical engineering specialising in mechatronics, which combines mechanics with electronics, programming and control.
Then it was time to put it all into practice, at both ends of the scale: in large, well-known companies such as Volvo Trucks, Segula Technologies and Applus IDIADA, and at Abervian, an R&D startup where I saw a product come to life from start to finish. I came away with solid experience in programming and simulation, from software and firmware to modelling multidisciplinary systems. I also came away with two ways of working: the large-project way, with many teams and demanding management processes, and the startup way, with autonomy, initiative and constant communication. I took the best of both to build my own approach, which I adapt to each client.
After a few years in industry, I saw that AI and computer vision were starting to rewrite the rules, and I wanted to master them. So I signed up for a master's in robotics, graphics and computer vision, where I gained in-depth training in artificial intelligence and specialised in computer vision, from recognition and segmentation to 3D reconstruction and SLAM. But I didn't arrive as just another student: I brought years of industry experience with me. And that's the difference. I don't just know how to use these technologies; I know which problems they're right for and how to turn them into something that works.
That mix of an engineering background, an AI specialisation and years in industry is what led me to go freelance. My aim is to be the bridge between companies that want to make the leap to new technologies and what it takes to get there, when they don't have the team or the resources to do it alone. Turning a company's ideas for the future into reality.
My path
- EducationBSc in industrial engineeringUniversitat Jaume I · Castellón, Spain2015 – 2017
My first steps as an engineer. I earned a place in the honours stream reserved for the 30 best academic records, which led to a double degree in France and, with it, a second way of thinking about engineering.
- EducationMechanical engineering, specialising in mechatronicsINSA Lyon · France2017 – 2020
Three years in France: a new culture and a fresh angle on engineering. Specialising in mechatronics sharpened my focus and set me on the road to robotics.
- Industry · InternshipStructural dynamics engineerVolvo Trucks · LyonJul 2019 – Feb 2020
The leap from university to a major manufacturer. In the noise and vibration team I developed a method for validating simulation models of engine components against real test data.
- EducationMSc in industrial engineeringUniversitat Jaume I · Castellón, Spain2020 – 2022
The end of my first chapter at university. I rounded off the master's with a six-month final project: an electronic interface, programmed in C++, that safely connects and manages lithium battery modules.
- ResearchProsthetic hand control with neural networksUniversitat Jaume I · Castellón, SpainOct 2020 – Sep 2021
My introduction to neural networks. I built a C++ control system that reads brain signals (EEG) through a brain-computer interface and turns them into grasp postures for prosthetic hands.
- IndustryR&D engineerAbervian · Castellón, SpainSep 2021 – Nov 2022
I helped build energy-sector solutions across firmware, hardware and validation. As in any small team, I turned my hand to a bit of everything, with C++ firmware for embedded systems as my speciality.
- IndustryAnalysis and simulation engineerSegula Technologies · Zaragoza, SpainNov 2022 – Jan 2024
Structural analysis of trains and wind turbines: I ran the finite element calculations, simulations and validation, and owned the Python data-processing pipelines used to analyse the results.
- IndustrySimulation engineerApplus IDIADA · Tarragona, SpainFeb – Jul 2024
In the powertrain department I modelled and simulated electric and internal-combustion vehicles in Python and Matlab/Simulink, covering everything from powertrain dynamics to energy balance and consumption.
- EducationMSc in robotics, graphics and computer visionUniversity of Zaragoza, SpainSep 2024 – Sep 2026
After years in industry, I went back to university to master the newest tools in the field. I specialised in computer vision, AI and 3D, and carried out research on SLAM and spatial intelligence with the I3A robotics group.
- David PadillaFreelancerComputer vision, 3D and AIValencia · RemoteJan 2025 – present
Now I put all that experience in industry, R&D and research to work for businesses. I act as the bridge between their ideas and the technology that makes them real, from the first prototype to a system that's up and running.
Let's talk
Tell me about your project and I'll let you know if I can help.
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