Speaker: Luiz M Franca-Neto is the Domain Head R&D for Computer Architecture/AI Hardware Acceleration/High-Performance SoC/Compilers & Runtime at the Nissan Advanced Technology Center (NATC), Silicon Valley.
Date: Friday, October 10
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: CEPSR 414 Sindeband
Seminar: Nissan Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV’s)
Host: Mingoo Seok
Abstract: SDVs materialize a convergence of 3 industries: (1) robotics industry (the autonomous driving car is a robot on 4 wheels), (2) AI industry (the car will see the world, understand the world, and take decisions faster and better than any human driver), and (3) High-Performance computing industry (both computer and network industry together). SDVs bring to the automotive industry the continued evolution of hardware and software co-design well known in the computer & semiconductor industry. SDVs will be able to self-drive, augment efficiency in mobility, and will be able to take supervisory powers over human drivers. SDVs will be able to teach humans how to race a car on a track, how to make donuts (for fun!), and also may become the only legal way to drive beyond 120 mph on some US highways in the future. At Nissan Advanced Technology Center, Silicon Valley, we’re a world-class Research Center for Nissan Global. We’re busy working in all the technical domains in that convergence of 3 industries above and are always interested in bringing in new talent to help us design and produce these vehicles of the future.
Bio:
Luiz M Franca-Neto is the Domain Head R&D for Computer Architecture/AI Hardware Acceleration/High-Performance SoC/Compilers & Runtime at the Nissan Advanced Technology Center (NATC), Silicon Valley. Luiz developed his career of more than 20 years in large industrial research centers in Silicon Valley (e.g. Intel Labs, Intel Corp.; HGST/Western Digital Research). Some of his contributions were recognized as most valued patents in the companies he worked and were reflected in around 100 granted U.S. patents and more than 15 in peer-reviewed scientific/technical publications. He anticipated strained silicon and optimal doping profile could be used for the design of ultra-low noise microwave/millimeter wave transistors (Stanford Univ, Ph.D. thesis) and created “optimum pumping method” for the design of millimeter wave circuits operating close to transistor’s fmax, with consequent demonstration of the first voltage controlled oscillators operating at 100 GHz (fundamental frequency) on Intel’s 90nm CMOS transistors (ft~60 GHz, fmax~110 GHz) (IEEE ISSCC 2004). More recently, Luiz spent 3.5 years as Fellow and Director in high-tech startups in Silicon Valley focusing on the design of specialized silicon accelerators for AI/Machine learning workloads. Luiz joined Nissan ATC, Silicon Valley, January 2024. In parallel with his industrial responsibilities, Luiz has served as Adjunct Professor or Lecturer at American universities (e.g. UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University). Luiz earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. both in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, California, USA.
More information at https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiz-m-franca-neto-671b48/.
“The Car is the Computer,” by Luiz M Franca-Neto, Ph.D. https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/INNOVATION/TECHNOLOGY/ADVANCED_TECH_CENTER/CAR_IS_COMPUTER/