# Raquel Urtasun

> professor at the University of Toronto

**Wikidata**: [Q30325390](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30325390)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raquel_Urtasun)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/raquel-urtasun

## Summary
Raquel Urtasun is a Spanish-Canadian computer scientist and professor at the University of Toronto, known for her pioneering work in artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly in autonomous driving. She was the Chief Scientist and co-founder of Uber ATG (Advanced Technologies Group) and has made significant contributions to computer vision and deep learning.

## Biography
- Born: January 30, 1976, in Pamplona, Spain
- Nationality: Canadian, Spanish
- Education: Ph.D. from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL); degree from Public University of Navarre
- Known for: Autonomous driving, computer vision, deep learning
- Employer(s): University of Toronto (current), Uber ATG (2017-2021), Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago
- Field(s): Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Science

## Contributions
Raquel Urtasun has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of autonomous driving and computer vision. As Chief Scientist at Uber ATG, she led the development of perception systems for self-driving vehicles, advancing the state-of-the-art in 3D object detection and scene understanding. Her research group at the University of Toronto has published numerous influential papers on deep learning for autonomous vehicles, including work on LiDAR-based perception and multi-object tracking. Urtasun co-founded the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, strengthening Canada's position as a global AI hub. Her work has been widely cited and has directly influenced the development of commercial autonomous driving systems.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Raquel Urtasun known for?
A: Raquel Urtasun is known for her pioneering research in autonomous driving, computer vision, and deep learning, particularly for her work on perception systems for self-driving vehicles at Uber ATG and her academic contributions at the University of Toronto.

### Q: Where did Raquel Urtasun work before Uber?
A: Before joining Uber, Raquel Urtasun was a professor at the University of Toronto and a researcher at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago.

### Q: What is Raquel Urtasun's educational background?
A: Raquel Urtasun earned her Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and completed her undergraduate studies at the Public University of Navarre in Spain.

## Why They Matter
Raquel Urtasun's work has been instrumental in advancing the field of autonomous driving from a research concept to a viable technology. Her leadership at Uber ATG helped accelerate the development of commercial self-driving systems, while her academic research has pushed the boundaries of what's possible in computer vision and machine learning. By bridging industry and academia, she has trained a new generation of AI researchers and engineers, particularly in Canada. Her contributions have not only advanced the technical capabilities of autonomous vehicles but have also influenced policy discussions around the safe deployment of AI systems in real-world environments.

## Notable For
- Chief Scientist and co-founder of Uber ATG (Advanced Technologies Group)
- Professor at the University of Toronto's Department of Computer Science
- Co-founder of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto
- Pioneer in LiDAR-based perception systems for autonomous vehicles
- Recipient of multiple best paper awards at top computer vision conferences

## Body
### Academic Career
Raquel Urtasun joined the University of Toronto as a professor in the Department of Computer Science, where she leads the Vector Institute's AI research initiatives. Her research group focuses on machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, with a particular emphasis on applications for autonomous driving.

### Industry Leadership
At Uber ATG, Urtasun served as Chief Scientist from 2017 to 2021, overseeing the development of perception and prediction systems for self-driving vehicles. Under her leadership, the team made significant advances in 3D object detection, semantic segmentation, and motion forecasting.

### Research Contributions
Urtasun's research has produced numerous influential papers on topics including:
- 3D object detection from LiDAR point clouds
- Multi-object tracking for autonomous vehicles
- Semantic scene understanding
- Deep learning architectures for perception

### Impact on Autonomous Driving
Her work has directly contributed to the development of commercial autonomous driving systems, particularly in the areas of:
- Real-time object detection and classification
- Sensor fusion techniques combining camera and LiDAR data
- Prediction of pedestrian and vehicle trajectories

### Academic Influence
As an advisor to numerous Ph.D. students, Urtasun has helped train the next generation of AI researchers. Many of her former students have gone on to leadership positions in both academia and industry.

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## References

1. [Source](https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~urtasun/cv/cv2.html)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. [Source](http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~urtasun/)
4. [Source](https://viaf.org/viaf/data/viaf-20230206-links.txt.gz)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. Google Knowledge Graph