Qian Lin, Ph.D.
HP Inc.
For pioneering contributions in digital imaging and computer vision; and for building a bridge between research and technology with inventions that will continue to revolutionize the print and personal computing experience.
Qian Lin, Ph.D., is a vice president, fellow, and chief technologist for machine learning and vision systems for HP Inc., where she leads artificial intelligence research in HP Personal Systems Software. Her research areas include artificial intelligence, computer vision, and deep learning, with applications in edge compute solutions, creative workflow, and collaboration.
Dr. Lin led the research and development of HP Pixel Intelligence, an analytics engine for understanding visual information to improve image quality and ultimately simplify the user experience. Developed using the latest deep learning approach for training convolutional neural networks, HP Pixel Intelligence aims to solve HP customer business challenges in industry verticals.
Pixel Intelligence utilizes artificial intelligence to deliver improved image and print quality for lower resolution photos, and the solution also enhances a user’s photo search experience by identifying and grouping photos with specific characteristics. Dr. Lin collaborated broadly with technologists, marketing managers, and business leaders across HP businesses to bring Pixel Intelligence to HP customers, and her hard work has yielded an improved customer experience and greater satisfaction with HP.
During her nearly 30 years with HP, Dr. Lin has contributed to a number of key technologies in HP products and mentored and developed engineers and students in imaging and computer vision in HP and partner research organizations. Her first research project at HP was the development of halftoning technologies for HP printers. She invented adaptive halftoning technology, which produced higher resolution image quality for HP’s enterprise and professional Laserjet and multifunction printers.
She also worked on the digital camera imaging pipeline and co-invented new capture capabilities with panorama stitching and automatic redeye correction. HP’s digital cameras were the first in the industry with embedded computation to support these capabilities. Later, she contributed to the image analysis and composition for HP’s Digital Publishing Solutions, as well as image and video analytics for HP’s enterprise software. Her technical contributions have resulted in superior image and print quality, a key competitive advantage for a wide range of HP printer products.
As both colleague and mentor, Dr. Lin is a welcoming presence and inspirational force, and she demonstrates a strong work ethic backed by personal grit for other women at HP. She listens to the contributions of others, while also suggesting relevant, new material for them to explore. During technical exchanges, Dr. Lin provides insightful guidance on different levels, from code review to research direction and organizing, and she allows others to gain from her expertise in image processing, computer vision, and deep learning.
Dr. Lin is an inventor with 47 issued patents and is extensively published. She was awarded a fellowship by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology in 2012 and named Outstanding Electrical Engineer by Purdue University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2013. She is also an adjunct full professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue.
She received a B.S. from Xi’an Jiaotong University; an M.S. from Purdue University; and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in electrical engineering. Outside of work, Dr. Lin enjoys traveling to experience different cultures and natural landscapes, and she also enjoys gardening and photography.
