Systems Engineering
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE · RESEARCH · TEACHING
Francklin Rivas
Echeverría.
Professor and researcher in artificial intelligence.
He studies how intelligent systems can help interpret images, control processes and retrieve knowledge. A career connecting engineering, education and law.
Associate Professor of InstructionThe University of Texas at ArlingtonComputer Science and EngineeringDownload CV summary
30+
years of academic experience
100+
journal articles
19
books as author or editor
80+
supervised theses
Figures recorded in the January 2026 CV.
01 /
Engineer, researcher and educator.
A story beginning in Mérida and reaching across disciplines and countries.
He trained as a systems engineer at Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela, graduating in 1993. By the 1990s, he was presenting research on expert systems, neural networks and their applications to medicine and engineering. A master’s in Control Engineering and a PhD in Applied Sciences further developed this work.
Teaching has been part of his career since 1993. He has taught, supervised theses and held academic leadership roles in Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile and the United States. In 2017, he also graduated in Law with cum laude distinction, adding a perspective now reflected in his research on artificial intelligence and legal assistance.
VenezuelaEcuadorChileUnited States
MSc in Control Engineering
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela
PhD in Applied Sciences
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela
Law · Cum laude
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela
02 /
A career across borders.
Universities, research and academic leadership. Expand each stage to explore his roles and responsibilities.
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Four countries, one connected career.
Venezuela
Since 1993
Education, teaching and intelligent systems.
Universidad de Los Andes · LabSIULAEcuador
Since 2015
Research, teaching and academic leadership.
PUCE · Yachay TechChile
2018–2022
Computer science and university engagement.
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa MaríaUnited States
Since 2021
Applied research and university education.
Kauel · MIU · UT ArlingtonAppointments and stages can overlap in time.
The University of Texas at Arlington
United States
The University of Texas at Arlington
United StatesAssociate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
MIU City University Miami
United States
MIU City University Miami
United StatesProfessor, researcher and Lead Instructor in the Computer Engineering program.
Yachay Tech University
Ecuador
Yachay Tech University
EcuadorProfessor, researcher and Dean of the School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences.
Kauel Inc.
United States
Kauel Inc.
United StatesChief Research Officer. Research leadership in applied artificial intelligence.
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
Chile
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
ChileProfessor in the Informatics Department and Relationship Director.
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
Ibarra · Ecuador
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
Ibarra · EcuadorPart-time professor in the School of Systems Engineering.
Universidad de Los Andes
Mérida · Venezuela
Universidad de Los Andes
Mérida · VenezuelaGeneral Coordinator of the University President’s Bureau.
LabSIULA
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela
LabSIULA
Universidad de Los Andes · VenezuelaCoordinator of the Intelligent Systems Laboratory.
Universidad de Los Andes
Mérida · Venezuela
Universidad de Los Andes
Mérida · VenezuelaTeaching career in Systems Engineering: from instructor to tenured full professor. Retired since 2018.
Dates and positions reflect the January 2026 CV. His UTA affiliation has been checked against the institutional directory.
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Research in practice.
Three studies showing how artificial intelligence addresses specific questions.
AI AND LAW · 2025
LegalBot-EC: exploring law with AI
Co-author and corresponding author · IEEE Access
The challenge
Consulting legal rules requires finding and interpreting specialized documents.
The research
The team developed a chatbot combining a language model with information retrieval from Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution and the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code.
What it contributes
In the published evaluation of 25 queries, 23 answers were correct and 2 partially correct. These results describe that research sample.
COMPUTER VISION · 2025
Recognizing smoke and wildfires in images
Study co-author · Results in Engineering
The challenge
Distinguishing smoke and wildfires in ground and aerial imagery poses challenges of accuracy and speed.
The research
The study compares four families of YOLO models, from v8 to v11, under common training conditions.
What it contributes
YOLOv8 showed the best overall balance between accuracy and efficiency. The comparison also identifies shared difficulties in low-visibility conditions.
INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION · 2024–2025
Computer vision for infrastructure inspection
Review co-author · Journal of Pipeline Science and Engineering
The challenge
Corrosion, leaks and mechanical damage are key concerns in inspecting oil and gas infrastructure.
The research
A systematic review of 26 studies examines image detection and segmentation techniques, the data used and their evaluation.
What it contributes
The work organizes available applications and identifies two needs: standardized datasets and more field validation.
Explore his research areas
Artificial intelligence and computer vision
Neural networks, deep learning and object detection. Applications to wildfires, corrosion, industrial inspection and astronomical imagery.
Control, automation and intelligent systems
Process modeling and control, virtual sensors, fault diagnosis and automation. Research applied to industrial processes and the energy sector.
Technology, education and law
Applications of artificial intelligence to education, healthcare support systems and legal assistance. An approach connecting technology with other disciplines.
Selected publications
View Google ScholarLegalBot-EC: An LLM-Based Chatbot for Legal Assistance in Ecuadorian Law
IEEE Access · Vol. 13
A study of YOLO architectures for wildfire and smoke detection in ground and aerial imagery
Results in Engineering · Vol. 26
Deep sky object detection in astronomical imagery using YOLO models: a comparative assessment
Neural Computing and Applications
IoT device for detecting abnormal vibrations in motors using TinyML
Discover Internet of Things · Vol. 5
Synthetic generated data for intelligent corrosion classification in oil and gas pipelines
Intelligent Systems with Applications · Vol. 25
A review of computer vision applications for asset inspection in the oil and gas Industry
Journal of Pipeline Science and Engineering
Hyperparameter optimization of YOLOv8 for smoke and wildfire detection: Implications for agricultural and environmental safety
Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
Knowledge, also in books.
Works as author and editor
Control de Procesos
Co-author with Oscar Camacho and Andrés Rosales
Escuela Politécnica Nacional
ISBN 978-9978-383-57-5
Ciencia, Innovación y Tecnología
Co-editor with Jhenny Cayambe and Ximena Coronado
Centro de Publicaciones PUCE
ISBN 978-9978-375-68-6
More selected books
Gestión, infraestructura y aplicaciones en Sistemas de Tecnologías de la Información
2023 · Co-editor · Centro de Publicaciones PUCE · ISBN 9789978375648
Análisis de sistemas continuos, lineales e invariantes en el tiempo
2015 · Co-author · Consejo de Publicaciones, Universidad de Los Andes · ISBN 978-980-11-1746-9
Control of Non-lineal Systems
2005 · Co-author · Pearson / Prentice Hall · ISBN 84-205-4449-3
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Recognition along the way.
2025GLOBAL
100
100
FORTTUNA · THE POWER LIST
Forttuna Global 100
His inclusion in The Power List 2025 brings together his work in teaching, research and professional leadership. The organizer’s published profile provides context for this recognition and his career.
View the official honoree profile
Enlarge image ↗
Enlarge image ↗Visionary Award
Internet 2.0 Conference · Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Magna Distinction
Universidad de El Salvador. Recognition of academic excellence as best professor in master’s degree programs.
Bicentennial Distinction
Universidad de Los Andes · Venezuela.
Outstanding Leadership Award
Internet 2.0 Conference · Las Vegas, United States.
Outstanding Professor
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María · Chile.
Further recognition
IEEE Senior Member
Luis María Ribas Dávila Order · Universidad de Los Andes. Highest academic record in the Law School.
Prometeo Program researcher · Ecuador’s Secretariat for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Halliburton recognition for contributions to the development of petroleum technology.
Revista Gerente · One of the 100 most successful managers in Venezuela.
Selected awards, distinctions and memberships recorded in his CV.
TEACHING AND MENTORING
Knowledge grows through teaching.
Thesis supervision and professional education are central to his career. His CV documents supervision at undergraduate, master’s, specialization and doctoral levels, alongside leadership of academic programs in artificial intelligence and data science.
62undergraduate theses
11postgraduate theses
8doctoral theses
CONTACT AND COLLABORATION