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Engineering his way from Padua to Munich: Meet Luca Frigo
MEET OUR ENGINEERS
2024 / 10 / 31
FROM PADUA TO MILAN: DEEPENING THE KNOWLEDGE
Luca’s story begins in Padua, a charming city in northeastern Italy. There he took his first steps into the world of engineering, studying at the University of Padua and earning a Bachelor’s in Information Engineering. The course was a mix of computer science, electronics, and control systems, giving him a solid foundation to explore different paths in the tech world.
After finishing his Bachelor’s, Luca felt it was time for the next step, and he moved to Milan, where he joined Politecnico di Milano for a Master’s in Automation and Control Engineering. During his Master’s, he learned about control theory, mechanical systems and electrical machines. It was challenging, but also very fascinating. One of his projects, focused on applying optimisation to solve control tasks, turned out to be quite important for what came next.
FIRST EXPERIENCE ABROAD: INTERNSHIP AT ABB
Through one of his professors, Luca got the opportunity to do an internship at ABB’s Corporate Research Centre in Heidelberg, Germany. ABB, being a big name in automation and motor technology, was a perfect place for him to explore more about control systems. This was a huge milestone, not just because of the work, but also because it was his first time living abroad.
Luca spent a year at ABB, diving into model identification and optimisation for industrial plants. The research results were presented in his Master thesis, and were also published at 2024 IEEE CCTA conference.
TRANSITION TO THE STARTUP WORLD: CONTROL SYSTEM ENGINEER AT BLICKFELD
After completing his Master’s , Luca moved to Munich, where he took on a new role as a Control System Engineer at Blickfeld, a startup working with microelectromechanical systems. Although applied on a smaller scale, Luca could use his expertise in control and optimisation to enhance the performance of the product.
The atmosphere at Blickfeld was another highlight—Luca really enjoyed the sense of community and the dynamic, hands-on work culture.
JOINING DEEPDRIVE: A FRESH START
Luca’s journey took a new turn when he joined DeepDrive as a Software Engineer, becoming part of our software team. He has been with the company for less than six months, but it’s been an exciting and intense period of learning. Here, he works alongside his colleague Felix Kaiser, developing software that controls the behaviour of electric motors.
The job requires a good grasp of both electrical and mechanical aspects, making it a perfect fit for someone like Luca, who enjoys tackling complex problems. At the moment, he’s focused on refining estimation algorithms to ensure precise motor positioning—an essential part of making the system run smoothly.
LIFE BEYOND WORK: FOOTBALL, CYCLING, AND A TASTE OF HOME
When Luca isn’t working, you’ll probably find him staying active outdoors. He’s always had a love for football, playing the sport for many years, he’s also taken up cycling and bouldering—especially during his time in Germany. Back in Padua, he helped his family running a small agricultural business and vineyard.
These passions have given him important lessons: agricultural work has taught him that regular care is essential for good results; football showed him that teamwork is essential to reach the goal; bouldering and cycling remember him to keep moving and never give up before the end line.