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Oliver Pineda Suárez

Oliver Pineda Suárez

Robotics PhD Candidate at EPFL | Space Technologies Engineer | Automation, Digital Twins, and Data Solutions for Astronomy and Space

Doctoral Assistant at EPFL Astrobots

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Driven by a strong pursuit of personal and professional excellence, I consistently strive to elevate my capabilities while upholding a strong work ethic and fostering a collaborative team spirit.

EPFL PhD candidate interested on the fields of Astronomy, Robotics, Digitalization and Space Systems Engineering, specifically in spacecraft development.

Work experience in Industrial Digital Twins, Metrology, Nondestructive Testing, Quality, Customer Operations, and Financial Processes. Capable developer in Python, LabVIEW, Java, C, C#, C++, HTML, SQL, among others and a capable user of engineering software such as MATLAB, Solidworks, NX, CATIA and ANSYS.

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Career: 12

Doctoral Assistant

EPFL Astrobots

Jul 2025 - Present

• Conduct performance testing and data analysis of swarms of micro-SCARA robotic fiber-positioners (RFPs) for Stage V spectroscopic surveys, contributing to the development of the European Southern Observatory (ESO)-led Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) and the MUltiplexed Survey Telescope (MUST) led by Tsinghua University. • Development of target-assignment and collision-avoidance algorithms for RFP modules.

Doctoral Assistant

Laboratory of Astrophysics (LASTRO) at EPFL

Jul 2025 - Present

• Safety Correspondant (COSEC) • Teaching Assistant: - EE-585: Space Mission Design and Operations - MICRO-453: Robotics Practicals

Space Systems Digital Twin Engineer

Maxon International Ltd.

Aug 2024 - Jan 2025

• Ongoing assessment of emerging technologies and strategies to enhance Digital Twins for MBSE in space applications. • Implementation of a Type 2 Reactive AAS API solution (FastAPI), user interfaces (Streamlit), and OWL semantic models for the space sector • Creation of guidelines, tutorials, and best practices for using AAS models and definition standards for data cleansing and validation • Training and support of employees regarding the new data structures, processes, and future usage of the AAS data models in the space industry

Digital Twin Solutions Engineer

Maxon International Ltd.

Feb 2024 - Aug 2024

• Development of a Python-based (BaSyx) custom solution for dynamic automated generation of Industry 4.0 Asset Administration Shell (AAS) Digital Twins (Type 1 - Passive), in compliance with the metamodel established in IEC 63278-1:2023 and the IDTA guidelines • Development of a data solution and a Streamlit UI for Identification Links and Digital Nameplates based on IEC 61406-1:2022 and IEC 63365:2022, respectively. This solution captures both technical and non-technical product data while automating report generation. • Researched and analyzed existing data sources (e.g., ERP, data warehouse, or CAQ) to connect them to the proposed solution and ensure data consistency and completeness for its transfer to AAS models. • Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the cross-organizational interoperability of the models

Software Developer

eSpace - EPFL Space Center

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Sep 2023 - Feb 2024

Semester project focused on improving the Technology Combination Analysis Tool (TCAT) developed by eSpace for the European Space Agency (ESA).This tool is used to model, simulate, and optimize space logistics scenarios. The goal of the project was to extend TCAT's functionality for lunar and interplanetary use case missions

Lead On-Board Computer Engineer

EPFL Spacecraft Team

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Aug 2023 - Feb 2024

• Developed the CHESS Mission's OBC Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Design Solution Definition (DSD) • Led the testing of the Twocan On-Board Computer (OBC), ensuring its compliance with the specific requirements and objectives of the Twocan In-Orbit Demonstration launched in January 2025. • Led the Twocan OBC's redesign for the upcoming CHESS mission.

Flight Software Engineer

EPFL Spacecraft Team

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Feb 2023 - Jul 2023

Semester project focused on the development of the flight software (F Prime component) to interface the X-Band communication systems controlling the OBC and an X-Band transmitter for the In-Orbit Demonstration that served as a foundation for the CHESS mission.

Metrology Laboratory Technical Manager

NAPSA - Nueva Aeronáutica Profesional

Mexico City, Mexico

Dec 2020 - Aug 2022

• EMA (Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación) Accredited for test and calibration of measurement instruments of the following magnitudes: Temperature, Mass, Pressure, Dimensional, Electrical, and Torque. As well as torque transducers. • Developed calibration procedures, uncertainty budget calculations, and laboratory CMC (Calibration and Measurement Capabilities) Lists. • Performed quality assurance duties such as daily inspections to ensure that procedures are followed and development of improvements in laboratory quality procedures. • Performed calibrations to measuring instruments and test equipment to analyze their performance ensuring that they meet their specific technical requirements.

Nondestructive Testing Engineer

NAPSA - Nueva Aeronáutica Profesional

Mexico City, Mexico

Dec 2019 - Dec 2020

• Developed Nondestructive Inspections through Visual (Borescope), Eddy Current, Magnetic Particles, Ultrasound, Radiographic and Liquid Penetrant testing methods to several engines, aircraft models and components in the industry. • Developed an application to automate aircraft weight and balance calculations and inspection report generation.

Technical Assistant & Software Developer

NAPSA - Nueva Aeronáutica Profesional

Mexico City, Mexico

Jan 2015 - Dec 2019

• Developed a Java application for Work Order management and a VBA and Python application for quote and invoice management. • Assisted in the development of tool calibrations and Non-Destructive Testing Inspections.

Electronics and Flight Software Engineer

Cuauhtémoc IPN Aeroespacial

Mexico City, Mexico

Jul 2017 - Jun 2019

• Designed, developed, and tested CanSat’s electronics and flight software.

Lead Commmunications, Data Handling and Ground Control Station Engineer

Cuauhtémoc IPN Aeroespacial

Mexico City, Mexico

Jul 2016 - Jun 2019

• Developed a Ground Control Station capable of receiving and processing telemetry packages and sending commands to manually operate the CanSat’s actuators. • Developed a LabVIEW digital twin that replicates CanSat’s 3D attitude in real time.

Education: 6

EPFL

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Jul 2025 - Jul 2029

EPFL

Master of Science - MS

Sep 2022 - Mar 2025

• Minor in Space Technologies

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Bachelor of Science - BS

Aug 2015 - Dec 2019

• CENEVAL National Prize for Excellence in Performance • Minor in Applied Robotics

Самарский Государственный Аэрокосмический Университет

Undergraduate Exchange Program

Jun 2019

The aim of this intensive course was the design of scientific nanosatellites using state-of-art computer technologies. It included an introduction into advanced space technologies for Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Instituto Politécnico Nacional

Bachelor of Science - BS

Aug 2015 - Jun 2019

• Specialization in Aircraft Design and Manufacturing

芝浦工業大学

Undergraduate Exchange Program

Jul 2018

Exchange through the academic partnership held between Tecnológico de Monterrey and Shibaura Institute of Technology (芝浦工業大学) as part of the Applied Robotics Minor Program.

Projects: 10

Master Thesis - Digitization of Space Components: Implementing Dynamic Automated Generation of Standardized Digital Twin Data Models for Interoperability and Traceability in Space Projects

Aug 2024 - Feb 2025

This research explored the usage of the Asset Administration Shell metamodel in space projects to integrate Industry 4.0 approaches and advance the Space 4.0 paradigm, with a focus on its application in MBSE tools and LCA frameworks. A custom service is developed to connect the company's digital infrastructure and automatically generate standardized Digital Twin representations of their products. Additionally, the metamodel was enhanced for the space industry by incorporating relevant standards, schemas, and semantic ontologies, enabling cross-organizational interoperability with other space companies and agencies. The proposed solution was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated through performance tests and a stakeholder analysis. The study was conducted within maxon international, renowned for its precision drive systems and with vast experience working in space projects such as the International Berthing and Docking Mechanism, Lunar and Mars rovers, and the Ingenuity Mars helicopter. The project was led by the Digital Technology Group, which focuses on developing advanced solutions to drive the company's digital transformation. In collaboration with the maxon SpaceLab, a team specializing in high-reliability solutions for space applications, the project aimed to develop a component-agnostic automated solution for encapsulating and structuring asset data used in space projects. This solution focuses on improving data exchange within this domain for improvements in traceability and lifecycle management.

CHESS Mission - TwoCan OBC In-Orbit Demonstration

Feb 2023 - Feb 2024

The Constellation of High-performance Exospheric Science Satellites of the EPFL Spacecraft Team aims to send two nano-satellites (CubeSat) into Earth orbit. The mission comprises two 3U CubeSats, equipped with scientific instruments developed by the universities of Bern and Zurich. The satellites will be placed on slightly different orbits, with one circular and the other elliptical, enabling complementary measurement of the exosphere from different vantage points.

Space Logistics Optimization: Interplanetary Scenario Infrastructure

drive.google.com/file/d/1TB_JHbnJzFFQS7oPmmrjtUQd8c9-hdTJ/view?usp=drivesdk

Sep 2023 - Jan 2024

The addition of an Interplanetary Scenario to TCAT serves as a framework for the simulation and evaluation of interplanetary missions, providing a foundation for future improvements that could be added to this tool to include more complex models and optimize the results.

Academic Network Sustainability Simulation

Dec 2022 - May 2023

This project is aimed to see differences in means of travel in an academic setting. Our simulation and infographic are based on Mobitool website data. Only European meetings have been considered for the purposes of the tool.

CARINA Mission - Deployment of a constellation of Lunar Pathfinders around the Moon

cdf.epfl.ch/ce_studies/2023_ENG-411

Mar 2023

The main objective of this study performed at EPFL Space Center (eSpace) Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) as part of the Concurrent Engineering Challenge 2023 course was to design and develop a deployer that can transport and launch a constellation of satellites into frozen orbits around the moon. The deployer will then deploy five satellites separately to achieve optimal coverage of the lunar surface. The mission will provide precise navigation, redundancy, and extended coverage of the south pole of the moon.

Bachelor Thesis - Risk Analysis for the Radiographic Testing processes in an Aeronautical Repair Station according to what is established in the 6.1 clause of the ISO 9001:2015 Standard

May 2021 - Oct 2021

The FMEA methodology (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) was implemented to ponder the risk and its impact on the different elements that make up said process and thus propose and apply corrective and preventive actions in the detected failure modes. Throughout the analysis analog, computational and digital radiographic processes were compared as well as the costs and benefits of implementing them to reduce the impact of risk on the organization.

Bachelor Thesis - CubeSat Soft Robotic Arm Prototype for Space Debris Removal

Aug 2019 - Dec 2019

Development of a space debris solution prototype for a CubeSat module implementing Power Electronics and Soft Robotics, specifically Hydraulically Amplified Self‐Healing Electrostatic (HASEL) Actuators and Dielectric Minimum Energy Structures (DEMES).

Cuauhtémoc IPN Aeroespacial - CanSat Competition

facebook.com/CuauhtemocIPN/

Sep 2016 - Jul 2019

Work team focused on the development of student projects in the aerospace field, with the mission of disseminate and demonstrate the high level of training and skills of mexican students.

SSDISAT - Space Debris Inspection Satellite

Jun 2019

Development of a nanosatellite (6 Unit CubeSat) proposal for a space mission with the objective of operating the satellite around another obsolete spacecraft or object to develop an inspection of it with the help of a 256 x 256 pixels camera that will capture images of the object. Those images will be processed later by implementing a previously trained convolutional neural network system to create a stream segmentation to autonomously process and select data from the space debris. The mission was proposed to be developed at a LEO (Low Earth Orbit) of approximately 500 km with an approximate inclination of 51.6°.

SPYBOT - Multipurpose Machine Learning Object Recognition Robot

Jul 2018

Development of a multipurpose machine learning object recognition robot implementing a live webstream continuously processed with the help of a neural network. To be able to recognize objects CNN algorithms were used with the convenience of the data access, image acquisition, and visualization capabilities in MATLAB. Furthermore, an HTML website was developed to link MATLAB and the robot’s microcontroller, so that the feed of the robot’s camera could be streamed and projected continuously onto MATLAB. The robot’s movement was determined by a link between the website and the robot’s microcontroller so that the commands given by the user on the website could be received.

Credentials: 30

Digitalisation in Space Research

Technical University of Munich

Nov 2024

EE585x: Space Mission Design and Operations

Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Jul 2021

Introduction to CubeSat Technology

AGENCIA ESPACIAL MEXICANA

Apr 2021

Emerging Trends in Aviation Maintenance

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Mar 2021

Scrum Fundamentals Certified

SCRUMstudy - Accreditation Body for Scrum and Agile

Nov 2020
Oct 2020

Data-Driven Astronomy

University of Sydney

Sep 2020
Aug 2020
Aug 2020
Aug 2020

Addressing Large Hadron Collider Challenges by Machine Learning

Государственный Университет - Высшая Школа Экономики

Aug 2020

Level 1: STK Certification

AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.)

May 2020
May 2020
May 2020

Introduction to Rocket and Satellite Engineering

Московский Государственный Университет им. М.В. Ломоносова (МГУ)

Apr 2020

MATLAB Onramp

MathWorks

Aug 2019
Aug 2019
Aug 2019

ASQ Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt

ASQ - World Headquarters

Oct 2018

Maintenance Technician Class 1

Agencia Federal de Aeronautica Civil (AFAC)

Jul 2016
Jun 2016

IB Bilingual Diploma Programme

Bachillerato Internacional

Aug 2015

Publications: 2

Massive Spectroscopy in Dense Environment - from emerging technologies to new science

VLT Beyond 2030

Conference Paper
doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18804074

Kneib, Jean-Paul, Chapuis, Diane, Galal, Malak, Mellinand, Gloria, Pernecker, Sebastien, Pineda, Oliver, Rombach, Maxime, Wei, Jonathan

Feb 2026

Prototyping of 6.2-mm-Pitch Fiber Positioner Modules for Stage-V Telescope Instrumentation

arXiv e-prints

Working Paper
doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.19711

Galal, Malak, Rombach, Maxime, Wei, Jonathan, Pineda Suárez, Oliver, Araújo, Ricardo, Pernecker, Sébastien, Bault, Abby, Silber, Joseph Harry, Wenner, Nicholas, Besuner, Robert, Kirkby, David, Van Shourt, William, Caseiro, Stefane, Magnenat, Corentin, Moser, Yves, Kobayashi, Yasuyuki, Fukushima, Eri, Sonoda, Satoshi, Suto, Ayumu, Schlegel, David, Kneib, Jean-Paul

Aug 2025

Awards: 4

CENEVAL National Prize for Excellence in Performance

Nov 2019

National Prize for Outstanding Performance in the final Undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering EGEL-IMECATRO (Examen General para el Egreso de Licenciatura) exam from the Mexican National Center for Undergraduate Evaluation (CENEVAL).

CanSat Competition 2019

Jun 2019

Certificate of Participation

CanSat Competition 2018

Jun 2018

International 9th Place

CanSat Competition 2017

Jun 2017

International 5th Place

Languages: 5

English(Native or bilingual)
Spanish(Native or bilingual)
French(Professional working)
German(Elementary)
Russian(Elementary)

Skills: 97

Other

Additive ManufacturingAerodynamicsAerospaceAerospace EngineeringAircraft DesignAircraft EnginesArduinoAsset Administration Shell
AutomationAvionics DesignCC#C++CalibrationCascading Style Sheets (CSS)Composite MaterialsComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)Computer ScienceComputer-Aided Design (CAD)Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)Data ManagementDatabasesDigital TransformationDigital TwinsEddy CurrentElectronicsEmbedded SystemsEnglishF PrimeField-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)Finite Element Analysis (FEA)FrenchHTMLIndustry 4.0InteroperabilityJapaneseJavaJavaScriptLabVIEWLaTeXLiderazgo de equiposLinuxLiquid Penetrant TestingMachine LearningMagnetic Particle TestingMatlabMetrologyMicrocontrollersMicrofabricationMicrosoft ExcelModel Predictive ControlModel-based Systems Engineering (MBSE)NanotechnologyNondestructive Testing (NDT)Object Oriented DesignObject-Oriented Programming (OOP)OntologiesOrbital MechanicsOWLPower ElectronicsProblem SolvingProcess ControlProgrammable Logic Controller (PLC)Project ManagementPythonQuality AssuranceRadiographic TestingRaspberry PiReal-time Data AcquisitionReal-time MonitoringREST APIsRoboticsSemantic ModelingSensorsSiemens NXSimulationsSix SigmaSoftware DevelopmentSolidWorksSpace Mission DesignSpace SystemsSpacecraft DesignSpacecraft PropulsionSpacecraft Telemetry and TelecommandSpanishSQLSystems DesignTeamworkTelecommunicationsTelemetryTrabajo en equipoTraceabilityUltrasonic TestingUnified Modeling Language (UML)Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)Web ApplicationsYocto Project