Research & Development Engineer
Khaled joined Adam.ai, a subsidiary of Yoxel, as an R&D Engineer working on an innovative AI-powered meeting assistant platform. The role involved testing SDK integrations, benchmarking machine learning models for natural language processing and computer vision, and contributing to product strategy decisions. A standout achievement was designing and manufacturing Adam's first physical robot body using a sliced MDF technique, which was presented to the Yoxel CEO. This experience provided valuable exposure to AI/ML research and product development at scale, while also revealing a personal preference for building products over pure research.
Why I Joined
Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technology and gain exposure to machine learning, computer vision, and NLP in a production environment
- •Tested and integrated various SDKs for the AI meeting assistant platform, ensuring compatibility and performance across different components
- •Benchmarked machine learning models for accuracy and performance, comparing NLP and computer vision solutions to identify optimal choices for the platform
- •Conducted product research and feature formulation to optimize for product-market fit, identifying which features were essential versus unnecessary
- •Designed and manufactured Adam's first physical 3D robot body using an innovative sliced MDF technique that assembled 2D sheets into a 3D puzzle structure
- •Contributed to iOS mobile app R&D to create a portable Adam experience as an alternative to the physical robot
- •Researched CCTV camera integration approaches to transform standard meeting rooms into smart spaces with minimal hardware
- ✓Designed and manufactured Adam's first physical 3D robot body, which was presented to the Yoxel CEO and became the first physical embodiment of the Adam AI system
- ✓Benchmarked multiple NLP and computer vision models, providing research-backed recommendations that informed the product's technical direction
- ✓Contributed to SDK integration testing that enabled the platform to leverage best-in-class ML capabilities for meeting transcription and participant recognition
- ✓Conducted product-market fit research that helped shape the product roadmap by distinguishing essential features from nice-to-haves
Technology Stack
Situation
Adam.ai, a subsidiary of Yoxel, was developing an AI-powered meeting assistant that could recognize participants, take notes, and assign tasks. The product needed both software intelligence and a physical form factor to sit in meeting rooms.
Task
As an R&D Engineer, Khaled was tasked with evaluating ML technologies for NLP and computer vision, contributing to product strategy, and finding ways to bring the AI assistant to life in physical form.
Action
Khaled systematically benchmarked various ML models, comparing accuracy and performance across NLP and vision domains. For the physical embodiment, he designed an innovative robot body using a sliced MDF technique that assembled 2D sheets into a 3D puzzle-like structure. He also contributed to iOS mobile app R&D and researched CCTV integration options to expand the product's reach beyond dedicated robot hardware.
Result
The research informed critical technical decisions for the platform. The physical robot design was presented to the Yoxel CEO as the first embodiment of Adam. Perhaps most importantly, the experience provided clarity on career direction, leading Khaled to transition from R&D into product building and mobile development.
Size: 10 people
Structure: R&D engineering team within AI startup
Reported to: Engineering Lead
0Skills Gained
Skills Deepened
- 💡Discovered personal preference for building products over conducting open-ended research
- 💡Gained understanding of how AI/ML systems work at a production level
- 💡Learned to balance research exploration with product-focused outcomes
- 💡Understood the importance of product-market fit in feature prioritization