Jakob Welner

Work History

• 

  Software Animation Developer

  Boston Dynamics

  September 2021 - Present

  Denmark

  Wearing many hats on both the Atlas and Spot team
• 

  Movement Consultant

  Gumnut Labs ApS

  January 2020 - August 2021

  Helsingør, Capital Region, Denmark
• 

  AI.MEE Engineer

  Örebro University

  January 2019 - November 2019

  Orebro, Sweden

  AI.MEE - Autonomous Intelligent Machines for Enterprise and Exploration (https://platformaimee.se/)
  
  Designing and building Demonstrators that translates recent AI/Robotics research into practical industry-relevant applications,
  Reporting to head of department: Amy Loutfi
  
  Responsibilities include:
  - Technology presentations and demonstrations
  - Communication with industry
  - Project Owner - Digital Twin for buildings
  - Part of management team
  - Camera Surveillance, Risk Analysis, GDPR
  - IoT full-stack development: Various sensor APIs, MQTT communication, NodeJS and ThreeJS interface with 3D sensor visualisation (Digital Twin), Docker deployment
  - Vinotion Sensor: Movement monitoring of people
  - Python, JavaScript development
  - ROS setup for various cases
  - Raspberry Pi, Arduino programming,
  - Analog/Digital sensor connection diagrams, soldering and installation
  - CAD, CAM, CNC, Welding

• Animator / Pipeline / R&D / Consultant / Teacher

  Nutmech

  October 2011 - December 2018

  Self-employed freelancer when time allows.
• 

  Master's Thesis: Virtual Muscle Robot Controller with Cerebellum Adapt

  Human Brain Project

  April 2018 - October 2018

  Copenhagen Area, Denmark

  Master's Thesis in Biomedical Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark
  In collaboration with The Human Brain Project, Sub-Project 10 - Neurorobotics.
  
  Project Title:
  "Bio-Inspired Robotics Torque Controller with Virtual Muscles and Cerebellar-like Adaptation"
  
  Project is implemented in The Neurorobotics Platform, featuring ROS/Gazebo underneath the hood as well as NEST for simulating Spiking Neural Networks.
  
  Project page on Researchgate:
  https://www.researchgate.net/project/Bio-inspired-robotics-torque-controller-with-virtual-muscles-and-cerebellar-like-adaptation
• 

  Articulated Robotic Face Developer, v2.0

  Shape Robotics

  September 2017 - March 2018

  Development of v.2.0 of FABLE face
  
  - All development and delivery of full-featured Android & iOS app with dynamic face for Fable
  - Dynamical control of eye direction, eye blinks and shifting between various emotions while maintaining control over blinks and eye darts,
  - Playback of premade animated sequences,
  - Procedural eye control, eye darts and change of eye direction,
  - Procedural eye blinks.
• 

  Articulated Robotic Face Developer, v1.0

  Shape Robotics

  March 2017 - June 2017

  Unity development of an articulated and programmable robot face application for the FABLE modular robotics platform by Shape Robotics
• 

  Robotics R&D - Biped Powered Dynamic Walker

  SYBO Games

  February 2016 - April 2016

  Copenhagen Area, Capital Region, Denmark

  Research and Development of an interactive Powered Biped Dynamic-Walker Robot.
  More information will eventually be published
• 

  Bachelor Thesis - Biomechanical Predictive Simulation (Student)

  DTU Elektro

  August 2015 - February 2016

  (Also found under "Projects")
  
  Thesis Title: Framework for Analyzing Predictive Controllers for Synthesis of Biologically Inspired Simulation of Human Gait
  
  About:
  Exploring Predictive Controllers for achieving humanoid gait patterns by minimal energy optimization.
  Project was based upon PredictiveSim by Tim Dorn and Jack Wang and using Stanfords OpenSim platform.
  Project involved extending upon PredictiveSim by adding new features and tweaking existing features for exploring the path towards a more natural gait pattern.
  
  Techniques covered:
  Predictive Control, Genetic Optimization (CMA-ES), Biomechanical Modelling, Handling and Analysis of Large Datasets, Principal Component Analysis, C++ Development for Linux and Windows, High Power Computing Cluster Simulations, Python Development of Helper Scripts
• 

  Animation Supervisor

  BaconX

  January 2015 - May 2015

  Copenhagen Area, Capital Region, Denmark

  Supervised animation on the global Magnum advert "Release the Beast" featuring 3 photoreal animated animals - Eagle, Shark and Polar Bear

• Technology Developer and Content Artist

  Rokoko

  September 2014 - December 2014

  https://rokoko.co/
  
  - Tech Developer on an opensource low-cost motioncapture platform (Hardware/Software)
  - Animator for platform-specific digital content
  - Company-wide R&D and pipeline dev
• 

  Animation and Story Consultant

  Nørgård Mikkelsen

  August 2014 - October 2014

  Project: Rynkeby Foods - Monkey playing the piano
  
  Animation and Story Development Consultant.
  Helping to kick off production in the right direction.
• 

  Soft-Robotics Developer (Student)

  DTU Mechanical Engineering

  January 2014 - June 2014

  (Also found under "Projects")
  
  Based on the idea that some types of tubes straighten out when inflated I came up with the idea that it could potentially be used to actuate an arm without the need of an external rigid framework (Exoskeleton)
  I did the prelimenary alone but after proving that it was indeed possible, I gathered a team of 4 more students from DTU Mechanical.
  The team has since then worked on developing a soft, cheap and comfortable system for home-rehabilitation of people with limited muscle-function.
  
  The concept has won the popular award at eFactor 2014 - a competition in Wearable Electronics, along with a money prize of 15.000 DKK.
  
  As of now (5th of April 2014) We have a working prototype attached to a mannequin doll where the controller can use muscle sensors attached to his/her own muscles of choice, to lift/hold/lower the arm of the doll.
  
  For more info and a video demonstration visit:
  https://jakobwelner.wordpress.com/portfolio/soft-robotic-exoskeleton/
• 

  Animation Consultant

  Nørgård Mikkelsen

  April 2014 - April 2014

  Project: Rynkeby Foods - Monkey Dance
  
  Helped out with initial preparations, planning as well as animation and technical consulting to get started
• 

  Guest Teacher, Python Programming

  The animation Workshop

  September 2013 - September 2013

  Viborg, Denmark

  Taught a class of Introduction to Python Programming for the VFX-artist course.
• 

  3D Printed Animatronics Designer (Student)

  DTU Mechanical Engineering

  July 2013 - July 2013

  (Also found under "Projects")
  
  Based on a custom 3-week course at DTU I've started working on a mascot for DTU Fablab.
  The product of the course was a head bust with actuated eyes and eyebrows, all 3D-printed.
  The projectaimed to showcase the use and combination of different 3D-printing techniques, thus inspiring fellow students to play with the processes themselves.
• 

  Shotgun Pipeline Consultant

  Duckling A/S

  May 2012 - May 2012

  Copenhagen Area, Denmark

  Consultant work for kicking off a new Shotgun-based pipeline
• 

  Shotgun Pipeline Consultant

  M2 Film

  March 2012 - May 2012

  Copenhagen Area, Denmark

  Setting up Shotgun to track a fully animated TV-series across multiple companies in multiple countries.
• 

  Animator / Pipeline R&D

  BaconX

  January 2012 - February 2012

  Copenhagen Area, Denmark

  - TVC Animation
  - Shotgun API scripting and general pipeline R&D
• 

  Guest Teacher, Animation

  TRUEMAX

  December 2011 - December 2011

  Vanløse, Denmark
• 

  Animator

  Double Negative

  January 2011 - October 2011

  London, United Kingdom

  - John Carter of Mars (Andrew Stanton)
• 

  Senior Animator

  Milford Animation Studios

  January 2011 - January 2011
• 

  Senior Animator

  Milford Animation Studios

  October 2010 - October 2010
• 

  Animator

  Animal Logic

  October 2009 - July 2010

  - Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga'hoole (Zach Snyder)

• World Traveler

  The World

  January 2009 - September 2009

  Traveling, experiencing other cultures and gathering memories
• 

  Animator / Rigger

  Duckling A/S

  September 2008 - January 2009

  Animation and Character Rigging on an advert and 4 breakers for Carlsberg Sport doing a penguin playing table tennis.
  
  Main film can be watched here (and breakers soon to come):
  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YANe3o1dgG0&fmt=18

• R&D

  Radarfilm

  May 2008 - June 2008

  Developed a tool for their feature film animation pipeline on Sunshine Berry and the Disco Worms for managing animation data, sharing between animators and reuse and easy appliance/transfer of animation on crowd shots
• 

  Animator / R&D

  Duckling A/S

  July 2007 - February 2008

  - Pipeline developer
  - Camera lead on a stereographic corporate film.
  - 3D Character Animator
  - General RnD
• 

  Animation-TD

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  January 2007 - April 2007

  Development of the animation pipeline by creating new tools or optimizing existing to fit the company's needs.
• 

  Previsualization Animator

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  January 2007 - February 2007

• Animator

  Open Workshop

  August 2006 - September 2006
• 

  Animator

  Zentropa Grrr

  October 2005 - December 2005
• 

  Animator, Rigger and Modelor

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  June 2005 - July 2005
• 

  Animation and Rigging

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  February 2005 - February 2005

• Animation and Modeling

  Ghost Aps

  November 2004 - December 2004
• 

  Modelor, Rigger and Texture artist

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  July 2004 - September 2004
• 

  Modellor

  Krogh Mortensen Animation

  June 2003 - July 2003