Two doors are opening for Daniel Ocampo: those that welcome you home and those that welcome you to advance your career.
As one of the first people to complete USF’s new Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate program, Ocampo is leveraging his new certificate and cutting-edge skills in machine learning and computer vision to transform the future of home security.
He has years of experience developing electronic products and works as an embedded systems engineer at a major key manufacturer that produces mechanical and electronic door-locking hardware. Now Ocampo is using his AI expertise to set a new standard in the industry by developing innovative tools for keyless entry and advanced home protection.
Discovering the Certificate
Ocampo’s partner, a mechanical engineering student at USF, recommended the program to him. She knew he had taken courses through free online programs in the past, and those sparked his desire to complete a respected AI training program with academic credentials that employers would value.
“I saw the opportunity to do something more meaningful,” Ocampo said. “This certificate from USF will be taken more seriously on my resume.”
He is one of the first completers of the program, which launched in 2023 and was designed in response to the upswing in demand for talent in this area.
Ocampo initially thought the program would only include theory and was pleased that the fully online certificate is much more than that. He said the hands-on program offered opportunities to implement real applications with the concepts he had learned.
In several of his classes, he was given data that represented variables in real-world scenarios. From weather and car driving scenarios to using cameras to interpret people’s actions, the classes provided many authentic use cases for artificial intelligence.
“It wasn’t just math and solving formulas, but also bringing real images, videos, and data, and working with them,” he said. “I was able to learn and get more in-depth into specific subjects I was looking for.”
The 12-credit hour program, which includes natural language processing and deep learning courses, is ideal for professionals like Ocampo with computer programming experience and basic statistics knowledge. Participants can choose three electives to complete the program.
“I chose to take computer vision and natural language processing because I enjoy math, and I thought those would be the most applicable to microcontrollers and microprocessors I work on,” he said.
Applying His New Skills
“I have been able to implement different applications in my work, especially with those that involve sensor vision, which involves grabbing data from different sensors and coming up with a response in real-time,” Ocampo said. “I’ve been able to work on projects with access control, where you can track users using technology such as ultra-wideband, Bluetooth, and GPS.”
One initiative Ocampo is working on is producing locks that don’t require a key for residential purposes.
The system will be similar to how the doors on many newer vehicles automatically unlock when a connected key fob is within range. Instead of manually pushing an unlock button or inserting a physical key, the vehicle automatically senses the car’s key fob.
He’s taking that concept and applying it to doors around the home.
“There are a lot of combinations and variables, so we’re trying to program every potential situation into the lock,” Ocampo said.
The goal is that the locks will be able to discern if residents are trying to enter their home, whether they’re coming in from a garage, a hallway, a yard, or are near the door without intent to enter.
“Since completing the program, I feel more confident in my knowledge and what I can bring to the conversation in different teams,” he said.
Looking Ahead
“I really liked the program because it wasn’t just an introduction to the field, but it also allowed me to get a head start on further education.”
Now that he has completed the Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate, Ocampo’s next career steps are locked and secured. He plans to continue his education by pursuing his master’s degree at USF, which was a determining factor in choosing the AI certificate.
The AI Graduate Certificate also serves as a solid foundation of knowledge for research areas such as algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, and more.
To learn more about the Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate, visit the website or contact Alexandria Lindsay at alexandrial@usf.edu.