Software Engineer · ML Systems · Edge AI

From models to real-world systems.

A learning journey through software, machine learning systems, and the path toward edge and physical AI.

João Alves, software engineer

Project / 001

MaisPraia

Operational platform for lifeguard organizations.

Operational scale
~ 60 lifeguards
Managed locations
~ 20 beaches

A centralized system replacing fragmented operational workflows based on WhatsApp, Excel, Google Forms, paper and email.

View case study

Engineering archive

Other projects

  1. Project / 002 Data Engineering

    PlusOrders Data Mart

    Designed and implemented a data mart for an e-commerce scenario using dimensional modeling, ETL workflows, multidimensional analysis, and Power BI reporting.

    Data Engineering · Data Warehousing · Analytics

    SQL · Integration Services · Power BI · Dimensional Modeling

    View project
  2. Project / 003 Product Engineering

    MoveWise

    Led the development of a mobility product from ideation to final pitch, including an OutSystems mobile application for public transport visibility and estimated bus arrival times.

    Product Engineering · Mobility · Software Development

  3. Project / 004 Embedded Systems

    Color Replication System

    Designed and built an automated embedded system that analyzed a target color and reproduced a blue/red reference mixture through sensor-guided liquid dosing.

    Embedded Systems · Automation · Physical Computing

    Arduino · RGB Sensors · Weight Sensors · Embedded Programming

    View project
  4. Project / 005 Embedded Systems

    Protovid

    Built a hardware-based monitoring system during the COVID-19 period using distance and temperature sensing with real-time visual and audible alerts.

    Embedded Systems · Sensor Systems · Safety Systems

    Arduino · Distance Sensors · Temperature Sensors · Embedded Programming

    View project
  5. Project / 006 Optimization

    Eletrictrip

    Developed a web application for electric-vehicle route planning using vehicle autonomy, charging-station availability, and travel-cost constraints.

    Optimization · Backend Engineering · Mobility

    Java · PHP · Optimization Algorithms

    View project
View all projects

Experience

Professional engineering work

  1. 2026 - Present

    MaisPraia

    Founder

    Building a web and mobile operational platform for lifeguard organizations, covering workforce management, scheduling, incidents, equipment, documentation, notifications, and team communication.

  2. 2025 - 2026

    KPMG Portugal

    Junior Software Engineer

    Worked within Technology Consulting - Platforms & Innovation, contributing to backend services, automation workflows, internal agent-based systems, and production-oriented infrastructure.

  3. 2024

    Celfocus

    Quality Assurance Analytics Testing Intern

    Designed and implemented an accelerator tool to streamline test-case creation and automated parts of validation workflows across datasets and data pipelines.

View full experience

International experience

European Innovation Academy

CTO · Entrepreneurship & Innovation

International multidisciplinary startup program focused on taking a digital product from customer discovery and technical feasibility to prototype, business model, and final pitch.

Duration
156 hours
Recognition
6 ECTS
Final grade
A
Explore experience
European Innovation Academy team at the program venue
João Alves presenting technical work with a microphone

Engineering in practice

Building is only part of the work.

Clear engineering also means explaining constraints, decisions, and results so systems can be understood, reviewed, and improved.

Evidence over inventory

What this site will document

Real implementations, their constraints, the decisions behind them, and what the measurements showed.

01 / SYSTEMS

Architecture under constraints

Case studies that connect requirements to architecture, rejected alternatives, deployment, and operation.

02 / MEASUREMENT

Benchmarks with context

Latency, throughput, memory, model quality, and the experimental setup needed to interpret each result.

03 / TRANSFER

Knowledge applied weekly

REALWORLD challenges that test whether concepts can survive ambiguous engineering scenarios.