Location Sunnyvale, CA Seattle, WA New York, NY Cambridge, MA

Description The Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) team is looking for a passionate, talented, and inventive Applied Scientist with a strong deep learning background, to help build industry-leading technology with multimodal systems.

As an Applied Scientist with the AGI team, you will work with talented peers to develop novel algorithms and modeling techniques to advance the state of the art with multimodal systems. Your work will directly impact our customers in the form of products and services that make use of vision and language technology. You will leverage Amazon’s heterogeneous data sources and large-scale computing resources to accelerate development with multimodal Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) in Computer Vision.

ASML US, including its affiliates and subsidiaries, bring together the most creative minds in science and technology to develop lithography machines that are key to producing faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient microchips. We design, develop, integrate, market and service these advanced machines, which enable our customers - the world’s leading chipmakers - to reduce the size and increase the functionality of their microchips, which in turn leads to smaller, more powerful consumer electronics. Our headquarters are in Veldhoven, Netherlands and we have 18 office locations around the United States including main offices in Chandler, Arizona, San Jose and San Diego, California, Wilton, Connecticut, and Hillsboro, Oregon.

ASML’s Optical Sensing (Wafer Alignment Sensor and YieldStar) department in Wilton, Connecticut is seeking a Design Engineer to support and develop complex optical/photonic sensor systems used within ASML’s photolithography tools. These systems typically include light sources, detectors, optical/electro-optical components, fiber optics, electronics and signal processing software functioning in close collaboration with the rest of the lithography system. As a design engineer, you will design, develop, build and integrate optical sensor systems.

Role and Responsibilities Use general Physics, Optics, Software knowledge and an understanding of the sensor systems and tools to develop optical alignment sensors in lithography machines Have hands-on sills of building optical systems (e.g. imaging, testing, alignment, detector system, etc.) Have strong data analysis sills to evaluate sensor performance and troubleshooting Leadership:

Lead executing activities for determining problem root cause, execute complex tests, gather data and effectively communicate results on different levels of abstraction (from technical colleagues to high level managers) Lead engineers in various competencies (e.g. software, electronics, equipment engineering, manufacturing engineering, etc.) in support of feature delivery for alignment sensors Problem Solving: Troubleshooting complex technical problems Develop/debug data signal processing algorithms Develop and execute test plans in order to determine problem root cause Communications/Teamwork: Draw conclusions based on the input from different stakeholders Capability to clearly communicate the information on different level of abstraction Programming: Implement data analysis techniques into functioning MATLAB codes Optimization skills GUI building experience Familiarly with LabView and Python Some travel (up to 10%) to Europe, Asia and within the US can be expected

Redmond, Washington, United States

Overview In Mixed Reality, people—not devices—are at the center of everything we do. Our tech moves beyond screens and pixels, creating a new reality aimed at bringing us closer together—whether that’s scientists “meeting” on the surface of a virtual Mars or some yet undreamt-of possibility. To get there, we’re incorporating diverse groundbreaking technologies, from the revolutionary Holographic Processing Unit to computer vision, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and more. We’re a growing team of talented engineers and artists putting technology on a human path across all Windows devices, including Microsoft HoloLens, the Internet of Things, phones, tablets, desktops, and Xbox. We believe there is a better way. If you do too, we need you! 

You are drawn to work on the latest and most innovative products in the world. You seek projects that will transform how people interact with technology. You have a drive to grow your skillset by finding unique challenges that have yet to be solved. We are looking for Senior Software Engineer to come and join us in delivering the next wave of holographic experiences in an exciting new project. 

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Responsibilities Incorporate the latest Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Vision and Sensor Fusion capabilities into the design of our Products and Services Characterize various sensors like inertial measurement units, magnetometers, visual light cameras, depth cameras, GPS etc. to understand their properties and how they relate to the accuracy of tracking, mapping, and localization. Implement and design innovative measurement solutions to quantify the accuracy and reliability of Mixed Reality devices against industry gold standard ground-truth systems Partner with engineers, designers, and program managers to deliver solid technical designs. Embody our Culture and Values

Gothenburg, Sweden

This fully-funded PhD position offers an opportunity to delve into the area of geometric deep learning within the broader landscape of machine learning and 3D computer vision. As a candidate, you'll have the chance to develop theoretical concepts and innovative methodologies while contributing to real-world imaging applications. Moreover, you will enjoy working in a diverse, collaborative, supportive and internationally recognized environment.

The PhD project centers on understanding and improving deep learning methods for 3D scene analysis and 3D generative diffusion models. We aim to explore new ways of encoding symmetries in deep learning models in order to scale up computations, a necessity for realizing truly 3D generative models for general scenes. We aim to explore the application of these models in key problems involving novel view synthesis and self-supervised learning.

If you are interested and present at CVPR, then feel free to reach out to Prof. Fredrik Kahl, head of the Computer Vision Group.

Location Sunnyvale, CA Bellevue, WA

Description Are you a passionate scientist in the computer vision area who is aspired to apply your skills to bring value to millions of customers? Here at Ring, we have a unique possibility to innovate and see how the results of our work improve the lives of millions of people and make neighborhoods safer. You will be part of a team committed to pushing the frontier of computer vision and machine learning technology to deliver the best experience for our neighbors. This is a great opportunity for you to innovate in this space by developing highly optimized algorithms that will work on scale. This position requires experience with developing Multi-modal LLMs and Vision Language Models. You will collaborate with different Amazon teams to make informed decisions on the best practices in machine learning to build highly-optimized integrated hardware and software platforms.

Location San Diego

Description

Artificial Intelligence is changing the world for the benefit of human beings and societies. QUALCOMM, as the world's leading mobile computing platform provider, is committed to enable the wide deployment of intelligent solutions on all possible devices – like smart phones, autonomous vehicles, robotics and IOT devices. Qualcomm is creating building blocks for the intelligent edge.

We are part of Qualcomm AI Research, and we focus on advancing Edge AI machine learning technology – including model fine tuning, hardware acceleration, model quantization, model compression, network architecture search (NAS), edge inference and related fields. Come join us on this exciting journey. In this particular role, you will work in a dynamic research environment, be part of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and software engineers who work with cutting edge AI frameworks and tools. You will architect, design, develop, test, and deploy on- and off-device benchmarking workflows for model zoos.

Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience. OR PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.The successful applicant should have a strong theoretical background and proven hands-on experience with AI as modern software-, web-, and cloud-engineering.

Must have experience and skills: Strong theoretical background in AI and general ML techniques Proven hands-on experience with model training, inference, and evaluation. Proven hands-on experience with PyTorch, ONNX, TensorFlow, CUDA, and others. Experience developing data pipelines for ML/AI training and inferencing in the cloud. Prior experience in deploying containerized (web-) applications to IAAS environments such as AWS (preferred), Azure or GCP, backed by Dev-Ops and CI/CD technologies. Strong Linux command line skills. Strong experience with Docker and Git. Strong general analytical and debugging skills. Prior experience working in agile environments. Prior experience in collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams across time zones. Strong team player, communicator, presenter, mentor, and teacher. Preferred extra experience and skills: Prior experience with model quantization, profiling and running models on edge devices. Prior experience in developing full stack web applications using frameworks such as Ruby-on-Rails (preferred), Django, Phoenix/Elixir, Spring, Node.js or others. Knowledge of relational database design and optimization, hands on experience with running Postgres (preferred), MySQL or other relational databases in production Preferred qualifications: Bachelor's, Master's and/or PhD degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 2-5 years of work experience in Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Hardware Engineering or related.

Location Bellevue, WA

Description Are you excited about developing generative AI and foundation models to revolutionize automation, robotics and computer vision? Are you looking for opportunities to build and deploy them on real problems at truly vast scale? At Amazon Fulfillment Technologies and Robotics we are on a mission to build high-performance autonomous systems that perceive and act to further improve our world-class customer experience - at Amazon scale.

This role is for the AFT AI team which has deep expertise developing cutting edge AI solutions at scale and successfully applying them to business problems in the Amazon Fulfillment Network. These solutions typically utilize machine learning and computer vision techniques, applied to text, sequences of events, images or video from existing or new hardware. The team is comprised of scientists, who develop machine learning and computer vision solutions, analytics, who evaluate the expected business impact for a project and the performance of these solutions, and software engineers, who provide necessary support such as annotation pipelines and machine learning library development.

We are looking for an Applied Scientist with expertise in computer vision. You will work alongside other CV scientists, engineers, product managers and various stakeholders to deploy vision models at scale across a diverse set of initiatives. If you are a self-motivated individual with a zeal for customer obsession and ownership, and are passionate about applying computer vision for real world problems - this is the team for you.

Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan

Overview As one of the world's leading industrial research laboratories, Microsoft Research (MSR) has more than 1,000 researchers and engineers working across the globe. In the past 30 years, Microsoft scientists have not only carried out world-class computer science research, but also transferred the advanced technologies into our products and services that have changed millions of people’s lives and ensured that Microsoft is at the forefront of digital transformation.

Part of Microsoft Research, Microsoft Research Asia (MSR Asia), established in 1998, is a leading research lab with major sites in Beijing, Shanghai and Vancouver. Over the years, technologies developed by MSR Asia have made a significant impact within Microsoft and also around the world, and new, innovative technologies are constantly being born from the lab. As one of the world-class research labs, MSRA offers an exhilarating, supportive, open and inclusive environment for top talents to create the future through their disruptive and cutting-edge research. (More information about Microsoft Research Lab - Asia - Microsoft Research).

Along with business growth, Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) is increasing its presence in Japan, and looking for a Principal Research Manager who specializes in AI with an emphasis on Embodied AI and Robotics, AI Model innovations (NLP, vision, multi-modality), Societal AI, Wireless sensing, and Wellbeing. This is a unique opportunity to lead an ambitious research agenda and work with various teams to explore new applications of those research areas.

Responsibilities •As a leading and accomplished expert in a broad research area (e.g., Embodied AI and Robotics, AI Model, Multimedia and Vision), has a comprehensive understanding of the relevant literature, research methods, and business and academic context. •Defines and articulates a clear long-term research vision that is in line with MSRA strategic focus and drive research agenda landing with planned schedule •As a local representative, fosters cooperative relationships with local governments, academic communities, industry partners and business groups within Microsoft to establish MSRA presence locally and support future growth •Creates synergy among MSRA research groups in multiple locations to enable collaboration and creativity • As a people manager, hires and retains top talents. Deliveries success through empowerment and accountability

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Overview Microsoft Research (MSR), a leading industrial research laboratory comprised of over 1,000 computer scientists working across the United States, United Kingdom, China, India, Canada, and the Netherlands.

We are currently seeking  a Researcher in the area of  Artificial Specialized Intelligence located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a keen interest in developing cutting-edge large foundation models and post-training techniques for different domains and scenarios. This is an opportunity to drive an ambitious research agenda while collaborating with diverse teams to push for novel applications of those areas.  
  Over the past 30 years, our scientists have not only conducted world-class computer science research but also integrated advanced technologies into our products and services, positively impacting millions of lives and propelling Microsoft to the forefront of digital transformation.   Responsibilities Conduct cutting-edge research in large foundation models, focusing on applying large foundation models in specific domain. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate solutions into Artificial Intelligence (AI) -driven system. Develop and maintain research prototypes and software tools, ensuring that they are well-documented and adhere to best practices in software development. Publish research findings in top-tier conferences and journals and present your work at industry events. Collaborate with other AI researchers and engineers, sharing knowledge and expertise to foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the team.

Location San Diego

Description

Qualcomm AI Research is looking for world-class algorithm engineers in general domain machine learning, especially deep learning, generative AI, LLM, LVM. Come join a high-caliber team of engineers building advanced machine learning technology, best-in-class solutions, and user friendly model optimization tools such as Qualcomm Innovation Center’s AI Model Efficiency Toolkit (https://github.com/quic/aimet) to enable state-of-the-art networks to run on devices with limited power, memory, and computation.

Members of our team enjoy the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research while simultaneously contributing technology that will be deployed worldwide in our industry-leading devices. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary talented team working on on-device generative AI optimization. Collaborate in a cross-functional environment spanning hardware, software and systems. See your design in action on industry-leading chips embedded in the next generation of smartphones, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and IOT devices.

Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience. OR PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.The R&D work responsibility for this position focuses on the following: Algorithms research and development in the area of Generative AI, LVM, LLM, Multi-modality Efficient inference algorithms research and development, e.g. batching, KV caching, efficient attentions, long context, speculative decoding Advanced quantization algorithms research and development for complex generative models, e.g., gradient/non-gradient based optimization, equivalent/non-equivalent transformation, automatic mixed precision, hardware in loop Model compression, lossy or lossless, structural and neural search Optimization based learning and learning based optimization Generative AI system prototyping Apply solutions toward system innovations for model efficiency advancement on device as well as in the cloud Python, Pytorch programmer Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field. PHD's degree is preferred. 2+ years of experience with Machine Learning algorithms or systems engineering or related work experience

Location: Sunnyvale, California, USA

Are you a gamer? Are you passionate about the cutting edge of foundation models and Multiodal LLM Agent for 3D world creation for future gaming?

Cybever.ai is on the lookout for an innovative AI Research Scientist to join our dynamic team and revolutionize the world of generative AI for 3D content.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Research and Development: Lead groundbreaking research in multimodal large language models (LLMs) and AI agents.
• 3D Content Creation: Develop advanced models and algorithms to create large-scale 3D assets and environments from text or images, enhancing our AI-powered creative suite.
• Collaboration and Integration: Work closely with the engineering team to integrate new AI capabilities into our existing products, ensuring they meet the needs of game developers, movie productions, and 3D artists.
• Innovation in AI: Stay ahead of the curve by publishing research, attending conferences, participating in open source projects, and collaborating with the global AI research community.

You're Probably a Match If You Have:

• Strong Research Background: Ph.D. or equivalent experience in AI, machine learning, computer vision, computer graphics, or related fields.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar frameworks.
• 3D Software Experience: Hands-on experience with tools like Blender, Houdini, Unreal Engine, or Unity, or a willingness to learn.
• Relevant Experience: Demonstrated work in computer vision or computer graphics, with a portfolio of projects or publications to showcase your expertise.

About Cybever:

Cybever, headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley and founded by ex-Googlers, is a pioneer in the generative AI space, transforming how game developers and artists create 3D content. Our innovative tools enable creating large-scale, high-fidelity, and interactive 3D environments in minutes, freeing up creators to focus on what they do best. With partnerships with industry leaders like Unreal Engine, we are at the forefront of integrating AI into the creative process, empowering developers worldwide to realize their visions easier and faster.

Employment Type:

• Full-Time Employment: This is a full-time position with potential for H1B and OPT sponsorship.
• International Opportunities: We are also open to hiring international contractors who meet our qualifications.
• Research Intern or Residency: Ideal for graduate students, this is a part-time or full-time opportunity to gain hands-on research experience while completing your studies.

Join us at Cybever and be a part of a team that's shaping the future of 3D creation. If you're ready to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI, we want to hear from you!

Location Mountain View, CA

Gatik is thrilled to be at CVPR! Come meet our team at booth 1831 to talk about how you could make an impact at the autonomous middle mile logistics company redefining the transportation landscape.

Who we are: Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle mile logistics, delivers goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of light & medium-duty trucks. The company focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 customers including Kroger, Walmart, Tyson Foods, Loblaw, Pitney Bowes, Georgia-Pacific, and KBX; enabling them to optimize their hub-and-spoke supply chain operations, enhance service levels and product flow across multiple locations while reducing labor costs and meeting an unprecedented expectation for faster deliveries. Gatik’s Class 3-7 autonomous box trucks are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Texas, Arkansas, and Ontario, Canada.

About the role:

We're currently looking for a tech lead with specialized skills in LiDAR, camera, and radar perception technologies to enhance our autonomous driving systems' ability to understand and interact with complex environments. In this pivotal role, you'll be instrumental in designing and refining the ML algorithms that enable our trucks to safely navigate and operate in complex, dynamic environments. You will collaborate with a team of experts in AI, robotics, and software engineering to push the boundaries of what's possible in autonomous trucking.

What you'll do: - Design and implement cutting-edge perception algorithms for autonomous vehicles, focusing on areas such as sensor fusion, 3D object detection, segmentation, and tracking in complex dynamic environments - Design and implement ML models for real-time perception tasks, leveraging deep neural networks to enhance the perception capabilities of self-driving trucks - Lead initiatives to collect, augment, and utilize large-scale datasets for training and validating perception models under various driving conditions - Develop robust testing and validation frameworks to ensure the reliability and safety of the perception systems across diverse scenarios and edge cases - Conduct field tests and simulations to validate and refine perception algorithms, ensuring robust performance in real-world trucking routes and conditions - Work closely with the data engineering team to build and maintain large-scale datasets for training and evaluating perception models, including the development of data augmentation techniques

**Please click on the Apply link below to see the full job description and apply.

Figma is growing our team of passionate people on a mission to make design accessible to all. Born on the Web, Figma helps entire product teams brainstorm, design and build better products — from start to finish. Whether it’s consolidating tools, simplifying workflows, or collaborating across teams and time zones, Figma makes the design process faster, more efficient, and fun while keeping everyone on the same page. From great products to long-lasting companies, we believe that nothing great is made alone—come make with us!

The AI Platform team at Figma is working on an exciting mission of expanding the frontiers of AI for creativity, and developing magical experiences in Figma products. This involves making existing features like search smarter, and incorporating new features using cutting edge Generative AI and deep learning techniques. We’re looking for engineers with a background in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to improve our products and build new capabilities. You will be driving fundamental and applied research in this area. You will be combining industry best practices and a first-principles approach to design and build ML models that will improve Figma’s design and collaboration tool.

What you’ll do at Figma:

• Driving fundamental and applied research in ML/AI using Generative AI, deep learning and classical machine learning, with Figma product use cases in mind.
• Formulate and implement new modeling approaches both to improve the effectiveness of Figma’s current models as well as enable the launch of entirely new AI-powered product features.
• Work in concert with other ML researchers, as well as product and infrastructure engineers to productionize new models and systems to power features in Figma’s design and collaboration tool.
• Expand the boundaries of what is possible with the current technology set and experiment with novel ideas.
• Publish scientific work on problems relevant to Figma in leading conferences like ICML, NeurIPS, CVPR etc.

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• Recently obtained or is in the process of obtaining a PhD in AI, Computer Science or a related field. Degree must be completed prior to starting at Figma.
• Demonstrated expertise in machine learning with a publication record in relevant conferences, or a track record in applying machine learning techniques to products.
• Experience in Python and machine learning frameworks (such as PyTorch, TensorFlow or JAX).
• Experience building systems based on deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and/or generative models.
• Experience solving sophisticated problems and comparing alternative solutions, trade-offs, and diverse points of view to determine a path forward.
• Experience communicating and working across functions to drive solutions.

While not required, it’s an added plus if you also have:

• Experience working in industry on relevant AI projects through internships or past full time work.
• Publications in recent advances in AI like Large language models (LLMs), Vision language Models (VLMs) or diffusion models.

Location New York, NY Seattle, WA Boston, MA

Description Climate Pledge Friendly helps customers discover and shop for products that are more sustainable. We partner with trusted sustainability certifications to highlight products that meet strict standards and help preserve the natural world. By shifting customer demand towards more sustainable products, we incentivize selling partners to build better selection, creating a virtuous cycle that yields significant environmental benefit at scale.

We are seeking a Senior Applied Scientist who is not just adept in the theoretical aspects of Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Large Language Models (LLMs) but also possesses a pragmatic, hands-on approach to navigating the complexities of innovation. You will take the lead in conceptualizing, building, and launching models that significantly improve our shopping experience. A successful applicant will display a comprehensive skill set across machine learning model development, implementation, and optimization. This includes a strong foundation in data management, software engineering best practices, and a keen awareness of the latest developments in distributed systems technology.

You will work with business leaders, scientists, and engineers to translate business and functional requirements into concrete deliverables, including the design, development, testing, and deployment of highly scalable distributed ML models and services. The types of initiatives you can expect to work on include a) personalized recommendations that help our customers find the right sustainable products on each shopping journey, b) automated solutions that combine ML/LLM and data mining to identify products that align with our sustainability goals and resonate with our customers' values, and c) models to measure the environmental and econometric impacts of sustainable shopping.

Seattle, WA or Costa Mesa, CA

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

The Vehicle Autonomy (Robotics) team at Anduril develops aerial and ground-based robotic systems. The team is responsible for taking products like Ghost, Anvil, and our Sentry Tower from paper sketches to operational systems. We work in close coordination with specialist teams like Perception, Autonomy, and Manufacturing to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers. We are looking for software engineers and roboticists excited about creating a powerful robotics stack that includes computer vision, motion planning, SLAM, controls, estimation, and secure communications.

WHAT YOU'LL DO -Write and maintain core libraries (frame transformations, targeting and guidance, etc.) that all robotics platforms at Anduril will use -Own feature development and rollout for our products - recent examples include: building a Software-in-the-Loop simulator for our Tower product, writing an autofocus control system for cameras, creating a distributed over IPC coordinate frame library, redesigning the Pan-Tilt controls to accurately move heavy loads -Design, evaluate, and implement sensor integrations that support operation by both human and autonomous planning agents -Work closely with our hardware and manufacturing teams during product development, providing quick feedback that contributes to the final hardware design

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS -Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in areas/fields such as Robotics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics -5+ years of C++ or Rust experience in a Linux development environment -Experience building software solutions involving significant amounts of data processing and analysis -Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and established code bases -Must be eligible to obtain and hold a US DoD Security Clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS -Experience in one or more of the following: motion planning, perception, localization, mapping, controls, and related system performance metrics. -Understanding of systems software (kernel, device drivers, system calls) and performance analysis