Title: Principal Software Development Engineer
Company: Amazon Lab126
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Karthik Poduval, principal software development engineer at Amazon Lab126, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in electrical engineering.
With two decades of experience, Mr. Poduval has built a successful career in electrical engineering, specializing in cameras for smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT). He currently serves as principal software development engineer at Amazon Lab126, a position he has held since 2023. His prior roles at Amazon include senior software development engineer from 2015 to 2023, and software development engineer from 2011 to 2015.
Previously, Mr. Poduval worked as a graduate research assistant at the University of Kansas in 2010, lead engineer at Samsung India Software Operations and Samsung Electronics from 2007 to 2009, member of the technical staff at HCL Technologies in 2007, and programmer analyst at Syntel from 2004 to 2006. He has been active with the MIPI Alliance Camera Interest Working Group and served as a speaker at Linux Foundation Conferences for GitHub from 2022 to 2024, and the Yocto Conference. In light of his impressive undertakings, he was honored with the Troubleshooter Award at Samsung in 2008.
Laying a strong educational foundation, Mr. Poduval earned a Bachelor of Technology in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Rourkela in 2004, followed by a diploma in embedded systems design from the Center for Development of Advanced Computing, Hyderabad in 2007. He went on to earn a Master of Science in computer engineering from the University of Kansas in 2011 and holds certifications in digital logic design using Verilog from UC Santa Cruz Extension in 2016, embedded design with Xilinx FPGAs in 2017, and mobile computing from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai in 2005. Reflecting on his path, his early fascination with electronics and embedded technology, which began in childhood, naturally guided him toward hardware challenges. His experience at Samsung’s Systems Team allowed him to solve diverse technical issues, but his passion for hardware, especially drivers, grew over time.
A standout moment in Mr. Poduval’s career was when he had the chance to work on camera technology, and despite periods when camera-related work was scarce, he remained dedicated to the sector, leading to him being regarded as a go-to expert in smartphone camera technology. He also takes great pride in his involvement in developing and launching various smartphone camera hardware and software innovations. His first major project was contributing to a Samsung smartphone with 3x optical zoom and xenon flash. Other notable projects include the Fire Phone, featuring 4 corner dynamic perspective cameras, and the Astro home robot. The Astro home robot, developed by Amazon, is a household assistant equipped with cameras, microphones, and sensors. It autonomously navigates the home, offering services like home monitoring, video calls, and smart device control through Alexa integration.
Mr. Poduval attributes his success to the opportunities that expanded his expertise beyond his niche, making him more well-rounded. In the coming years, he aims to contribute more to the open-source field, create successful APIs, and potentially write a book on his experiences. Additionally, he also hopes to be a mentor and inspire more people to enter the industry.
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