Software Developer and AI & Robotics Student Based in Stoke-on-Trent
My name is Christopher Mead, or "Chris" for short.
Education
I'm an undergraduate student of AI & Robotics, going into my final year. This bachelor's degree has provided me with hands-on experience building autonomous robots, training machine learning models, and programming microcontrollers in C. It has also fleshed out my technical foundation, which now includes a firm grasp of the fundamentals of both machine learning and classical AI techniques.
The programme has included a sandwich placement with AiDenVi Ltd., in which I worked alongside a talented team of my peers to design and develop an AI-powered web application, using machine learning to deliver technical files for electronic components. During my studies I've gained hands-on experience with everything from natural computer vision and language processing, to embedded systems programming, to project management and group work.
Interests
As a mature student who didn't return to education until my late twenties, my passion for computing and software development predates my formal university education by over a decade. I was able to develop and grow independently of a set curriculum, and chose to immerse myself in the world of administrating GNU/Linux-based systems, free and open source software and software development in my spare time for over a decade before deciding to return to higher education, culminating in my first paid project as a self-taught software developer.
The early stages of my self-taught education in programming were spent poring over books such as Learn Python the Hard Way by Zed Shaw and Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke (and I still own a copy of The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, which I will find the time to work through one of these days).
My love and passion for free and open source software has continued to grow, leading to my daily use of GNU/Linux on my personal devices, and NeoVim being my editor of choice, with an extensively customised configuration in Lua.
Contact
I'm available for summer opportunities until I start my final year of university in October 2025, as well as for any other opportunities that may arise. I encourage you to reach out to me via the links in the footer of this page, or check out my projects section, or blog to explore more of my work, learnings and interests.
This website was generated using Hugo, a static site generator, and Vite, to compile the TypeScript code for my project demos. The source files are available on Github.