Edge AI & Computer Vision · Pilot → Rollout → Operations
Bringing AI and computer vision into the real world - across thousands of stores
At Schwarz Digits I work at the intersection of business teams (e.g. Lidl Sales), AI/CV developers and our infrastructure and IT teams. I evolve use cases and the product roadmap, integrate computer vision and AI solutions into our system landscape, and make sure they run at scale, monitored and compliant, across thousands of stores.
Senior product engineer for AI and computer vision in store operations - from Heilbronn
I studied mechatronics and automotive engineering and started out as a development engineer at an automotive engineering firm - with alternative materials, prototypes, and my first chatbot, FOXBOT. Then, at Schwarz IT, I built an enterprise chatbot platform from scratch.
Today, as a Senior Product Engineer at Schwarz Digits, I bring computer vision solutions into Lidl and Kaufland stores. My role sits at the intersection: with business teams like Lidl Sales on new and existing solutions, with in-house and external AI developers on integrating them into our IT landscape, with the server, cloud, POS and monitoring teams on implementation - and with the IT teams in each country on piloting and rollout.
Some of the tooling I build myself: automation, monitoring, and an evaluation setup that tests new solutions against real store data. After five years as a team lead, I deliberately chose to work more directly on the solutions again.
And since 2019 there's always a side project running - out of curiosity and to build things I want to see in the world.
“What I enjoy most: building solutions and then seeing them run in the stores.
At Schwarz Digits since 2017, working on computer vision for store operations since 2020.
Engineer and builder by passion.
B.Eng. Mechatronics · Cooperative-education student · Manufacturing engineering · Mannheim / Rheinböllen / Frankfurt / Asheville (USA)
Where it all began: brake systems, CNC, welding, robot & PLC programming, optimization projects with 3D-CAD - and a few months in the USA, developing an automated cleaning station for brake calipers.
M.Eng. Automotive Engineering · Student · Darmstadt
CAD, FEA, lightweight design, and Formula Student. Master's thesis at csi: a mechatronic kinematic air-vent system for a luxury vehicle.
Development Engineer · Technology & Innovation · Neckarsulm
Applied research on shape-memory alloys in vehicles, lightweight material consulting for Lamborghini & Audi, and hand-built prototypes (3D printing, Arduino, self-soldered circuit boards). Then came the FOXBOT - my first chatbot, with facial recognition, speech recognition, TTS, and a custom dialog system.
Software Engineer & Tech Lead · Enterprise Chatbots · Neckarsulm
Started solo (with support from DFKI Berlin) and built a small team. Took a company-wide chatbot platform from zero to go-live (Dec. 2019): React + Java Spring Boot, hybrid rule- & ML-based NLU, OAuth, and numerous enterprise integrations.
Team Lead & Solution Architect · Computer Vision Retail · Neckarsulm
Five years leading the Computer Vision Retail team - building, developing, and steering it - while remaining hands-on as a consultant and architect. Reporting up to C-level.
Senior Product Engineer · Computer Vision Retail · Neckarsulm
No longer leading the team since 2025. I work at the intersection of business teams, AI/CV developers and our infrastructure and IT teams and bring computer vision solutions into operation. That includes sub-project management, operations concepts and my own tooling for automation, monitoring and evaluation.
Since 2019, I've always had an IT side project in the works. Here is a selection of my most important ones.
Habits, todos, and daily wins in one private place
After years of tracking habits, todos, and accomplishments in separate apps (and on old envelopes), I brought them together in one deliberately simple app. Stetig shows not only what is left to do, but also what you have already achieved - with local-first storage and optional encrypted GitHub sync.
An AI-native news aggregator that counters information overload
Collects RSS feeds, YouTube channels and podcasts. AI ranks every article based on your goals (with a learning feedback loop), writes daily & weekly digests, generates spaced-repetition flashcards, and even creates action items. Multi-provider AI (BYOK). Named after my friends Nikolas & Constantin - ni + co.
AI-powered SaaS for analyzing & monitoring customer reviews
Conceived and coded solo - system design, frontend, backend, and infrastructure - in full-stack TypeScript. It analyzes reviews from Google Maps, Play Store, App Store, and more. My real goal was to experience firsthand what it means to build, operate, and market a complex SaaS product. Biggest lesson: without distribution and product-market fit, a good product isn't enough.
An AI-powered equity fund
Technical co-founder (with two other technical founders and a family office). I was responsible for data & ops: a complex, self-orchestrating web-scraping system, an extensive data API serving the ML model, and a full-stack web app for fund management. The family office ultimately decided to switch off the AI.
My hobbies are the ‘actuate’ outside of work - flying, building, moving. The same drive, just away from the computer.
Alongside my current role, I'm open to selected projects around AI and computer vision in real-world operations.
For AI and computer vision solutions that need to run across many sites after the pilot.
When solutions or vendors need to be compared based on your own measurements.
For an independent view on existing solutions, plans and risks.
Whether it's a professional exchange, the right role, or a project around AI and computer vision across many sites: feel free to send me an email.