Charbel Azzi, PhD

Charbel Azzi is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He has been Lecturing there since 2020. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut in 2013, a MASc and PhD in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2015 and 2022 respectively. He worked in Industry as team lead in 2013-2014, and Software Engineer for startup companies in Canada in 2014-2015 and in 2022.

The overall theme of his current and future research is Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence applied to Robotics. His work focuses on estimating camera motion, autonomous robotic mapping and localization, 3D scene reconstruction, learning optical flow, and image-based localization. He is interested in machine learning and developing new learning tools from regular cameras and event cameras.

In the past 5 years, Dr. Azzi’s passion and focus have been on teaching Engineering courses for future generations. He can teach variety of subjects starting from his core field of expertise in software engineering by teaching Algorithms and Data Structures, Fundamentals of AI, Digital Systems, and Linear Systems and Signals. He also teaches other variety of courses such as Circuits, Instrumentation, and Measurements and Physics courses.

He has demonstrated his excellence in teaching by receiving Congratulatory Letters from the Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo 4 times, and by being awarded the prestigious Amit and Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching.

• Computer Vision and Image Processing

• Simultaneous Localization And Mapping

• Image-Based Localization and Place recognition

• Optical Flow

• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Computer Vision

• Deep learning for Event-based Cameras

• Event-based Cameras in Robotics and MEMS

• 3D Tracking and Object Detection

• 2022, Doctorate Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2016, Master of Applied Science Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2013, Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

• 2021 https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/charbel-azzi-recipient-amit-and-meena-chakma-award

• BME 121 - Digital Computation
  • Taught in 2025
• MTE 140 - Algorithms and Data Structures
  • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• MTE 351 - Systems Models 1
  • Taught in 2025
• SYDE 182 - Physics 2: Dynamics
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• SYDE 192 - Digital Systems
  • Taught in 2023, 2024, 2025
• SYDE 252 - Linear Systems and Signals
  • Taught in 2022
• SYDE 292 - Circuits, Instrumentation, and Measurements
  • Taught in 2023, 2024, 2025
• SYDE 351 - Systems Models 1
  • Taught in 2024, 2025
• SYDE 522 - Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
  • Taught in 2023, 2024
• SYDE 770 - Selected Topics in Communication and Information Systems
  • Taught in 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Two grad students win exceptional teaching awards