David Yang
Senior Staff Software Engineer at Scout AI
San Francisco, California, United States
Summary
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Senior🎓
Top SchoolDavid Yang is a Senior Staff Software Engineer with 15 years of experience specializing in robotics software for autonomous semi-trucks, spanning high-level routing, trajectory generation, sensor calibration, driver development, and offline data analysis. He works primarily in C++ and Python, and is known for writing succinct, efficient, and readable code while eagerly diving into new domains or deepening expertise in familiar ones. His PhD work at MIT focused on optimization of electric-carbon fuel propulsion systems for aircraft, giving him a strong foundation in systems-level modeling and component optimization that informs his approach to vehicle autonomy. Based in San Francisco, he has progressed through engineering and senior roles at Kodiak and now Scout AI, blending hands-on implementation with architectural thinking. A generalist at heart, he pairs rigorous academic training with practical, production-focused delivery across perception, planning, and tooling for autonomous vehicles.
14 years of coding experience
9 years of employment as a software developer
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBachelor of Science (B.S.), Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin
English, Chinese, GermanGithub contributions (5)
kevingupton/cbml
Jun 2011 - Jul 2011
Contributions:57 commits in 1 month
stumpyx13/PathPlanning
Apr 2019 - May 2019
Contributions:13 pushes, 2 branches in 1 month
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