# Mahesh Ranaweera Senior Software Developer | AI Researcher | PhD Candidate Canada | [info@ma-he-sh.dev](mailto:info@ma-he-sh.dev) | [Website](https://ma-he-sh.dev) | [GitHub](https://github.com/ma-he-sh) | [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/maheshranaweera) | [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7198-5781) | [SciProfiles](https://sciprofiles.com/profile/1634725) ## Summary Senior software developer working across full-stack applications, scalable backend systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI-assisted features. PhD candidate in Artificial Intelligence at Ontario Tech University, researching Sim2Real reinforcement learning and domain randomization. ## Experience ### Senior Software Developer, DevOps | *July 2018 – present* **Vocalmeet** - Senior Software Developer, DevOps | *2024 – present* - Technical Lead | *2023 – 2024* - Software Developer | *2020 – 2023* - Junior Software Developer | *2018 – 2020* Lead end-to-end technology development across full-stack development, DevOps, mobile, AI/ML, cloud infrastructure, system architecture, data platforms, and enterprise integrations. Build large member-based platforms and developed new Elasticsearch-based techniques for handling large-scale user data. Work on SR&ED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) projects. Grew from junior developer to technical lead, and now hold senior development and DevOps responsibilities across multiple teams. ### Research Assistant | *2020 – 2023* **Ontario Tech University** Research assistant to Dr. Qusay H. Mahmoud, P.Eng., on Sim2Real reinforcement learning during master's studies. Built the vision system for a strawberry-harvesting robot, training a YOLOv5 strawberry detector that runs live on an Intel RealSense depth camera. Designed and delivered hands-on workshops, including an OpenAI API workshop. ### Communications and Media Coordinator | *June 2017 – 2018* **DreBu, Toronto Youth Peer Support** Summer role supporting the youth peer-support network through its website, social media, online surveys, and its first annual networking conference. Afterwards continued as a volunteer, maintaining the TYPS websites and mobile apps until starting full-time at Vocalmeet in 2018. ### Website and Graphic Designer | *June 2016 – Jan 2017* **DreBu, Toronto Youth Peer Support** Summer role designing and building the TYPS Network youth peer-support member site and its Android and iOS apps for the non-profit, along with visual identities and outreach materials. Continued as a volunteer into January 2017, managing and maintaining what we built. ### Student Lead, Robot Design & Development | *2013 – 2014* **FRC Team 2198 Paradigm Shift, L’Amoreaux C.I.** One of the student leads on the school's FIRST Robotics team, under the leadership of teacher Grantley Blenman. Designed, built and programmed robots for FIRST and VEX competitions and mentored junior members. The team won the 2014 Greater Toronto East Regional and competed at the FIRST Championship (Archimedes Division) in St. Louis, Missouri. Received the school's 21st Century Technology Award (2014) for commitment to the team. [Team history](https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/2198) | [About the team](https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/paradigmshift2198/about-us) ## Education ### PhD Candidate, Artificial Intelligence | *2024 – present* **Ontario Tech University** Sim2Real reinforcement learning, supervised by Dr. Qusay H. Mahmoud, P.Eng. All academic requirements completed; dissertation research in progress. ### Master of Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence | *2020 – 2023* **Ontario Tech University** Sim2Real reinforcement learning research, supervised by Dr. Qusay H. Mahmoud, P.Eng. Transferred directly into the PhD program after passing the doctoral candidacy examination. ### B.Eng. (Honours), Software Engineering | *2014 – 2018* **Ontario Tech University** Graduated with distinction. ## Technical Skills - **Languages:** Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Rust, C++, C, Go, Java, PHP, Bash, MATLAB - **Backend:** Node.js, Express, Django, Flask, REST APIs, GraphQL, Microservices - **Cloud & DevOps:** AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, EKS, CloudFormation), Google Cloud (Compute Engine), Docker, Kubernetes, Nginx, CI/CD, Git - **Databases:** PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, DynamoDB, Elasticsearch, RethinkDB - **Data processing:** Apache Spark, Apache Hadoop, Apache Flink - **ML frameworks:** PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, Hugging Face, CUDA, OpenCV, YOLO, OpenAI API - **Robotics & simulation:** ROS, MuJoCo, Godot, Gazebo, PCL, RViz, Intel RealSense, 3D printing - **Research areas:** Reinforcement learning, Sim2Real transfer, Domain randomization, Computer vision, LLMs ## Selected Projects ### Master's Research | *2020 – 2023* Master's research on Sim2Real transfer using the Godot game engine, published in Electronics (MDPI, 2024). [Source](https://github.com/ma-he-sh/GodotSim2RealResearch) ### Strawberry Detection for a Harvesting Robot | *2023* Trained a YOLOv5 model to detect strawberries and ran it live on an Intel RealSense depth camera as the vision system for a strawberry-harvesting robot. [Source](https://github.com/ma-he-sh/realsenseyolov5) ### Violence and Assault Recognition | *2017 – 2018* As lead programmer, built a real-time platform that detects violent activity in live surveillance feeds and archived video, alerts security staff, and flags the individuals involved for review, using TensorFlow, Keras, Caffe and OpenCV with a Node.js web app on AWS. Second-place capstone at Ontario Tech University, supervised by Dr. Masoud Makrehchi, and selected to compete in the 2018 Pitch to the Chief policing-technology competition at Venture13 in Cobourg. ## Publications - M. Ranaweera, Q. H. Mahmoud. [Deep Reinforcement Learning with Godot Game Engine](https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13050985). Electronics (MDPI), vol. 13, no. 5 | *March 2024* - M. Ranaweera, Q. H. Mahmoud. [Evaluation of Techniques for Sim2Real Reinforcement Learning](https://doi.org/10.32473/flairs.36.133317). Proceedings of the 36th International FLAIRS Conference (FLAIRS-36), Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA. Presented at FLAIRS-36 (online) | *May 2023* - M. Ranaweera, Q. H. Mahmoud. [Bridging the Reality Gap Between Virtual and Physical Environments Through Reinforcement Learning](https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3249572). IEEE Access, vol. 11 | *March 2023* - M. Ranaweera, Q. H. Mahmoud. [Bridging Reality Gap Between Virtual and Physical Robot through Domain Randomization and Induced Noise](https://doi.org/10.21428/594757db.09aa0c75). Proceedings of the 35th Canadian Conference on Artificial Intelligence (Canadian AI 2022), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Presented at Canadian AI 2022 (online) | *May 2022* - M. Ranaweera, Q. H. Mahmoud. [Virtual to Real-World Transfer Learning: A Systematic Review](https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10121491). Electronics (MDPI), vol. 10, no. 12 | *June 2021*