My areas of research and teaching being geomatics and information technology, I delve into intelligent geospatial analytics merging remotely sensed data, navigation technologies, informatics and GIS. Together these technologies are proving a strong platform to progress towards sustainable smart societies, and I continue my endeavor towards that goal, through research, development and teaching. I am a Marie Curie Fellow on data driven innovation at Edinburgh University under TRAIN@ED project. I am working with peace building processes compiling spatial data collected online, using AI, NLP and geo-visualization. I am proposing to setup a spatial data center “PeaceTech Edinburgh” to aid United Nations peace-building tasks through geospatial intelligence.
Previously, I was a Manager of a European Union Project GEO-C.EU at NOVAIMS Portugal employing geospatial technologies for smart cities implementation, conferring 15 PhDs under Marie Curie H2020 and International Training Network (ITN) European Joint Doctorates. I collaborated across locations in partner universities in Spain, Germany and Portugal, and I managed 6 Early Stage Researchers in Portugal. We researched towards geospatially smarter open cities and societies as far as citizen participation and technology adoption are concerned, newer smarter cities concepts for better models of human and system integration for transparency, collaboration and participation between citizenry, governance and industry. I continue to be a member of a spatial information management research group called MagIC at NOVA IMS, along with intermediate roles as Associate Professor, Dept of Information Science & Engineering, CMRIT Bangalore, and also in InfoTech Engineering School in an India Skill Development University. Earlier, I was Assistant Professor (GIS), Geomatics Engineering Department, Bulent Ecevit University, Turkey. I taught undergrads, postgrads and doctoral students related courses in Urban Info Sys (UIS), Land Info Sys (LIS), GIS and Geomatics. Using my Geomatics engineering and Information Technology background I resolve spatial problems using software solutions in an interdisciplinary way specifically in the domain of urban/rural sustainability scenarios involving data mining for change detection, depletion of resources and spatiotemporal remedies using GIS which qualifies me as a competent user of open source software environments, relevant to large-scale geo-computing, including big data storage, data mining, distributed computing, machine learning, image processing, GIS, and general computing.
I am a Bachelor of Information Technology from Computer Science Dept, Delhi University. My Doctoral and Master of Technology education has been in Surveying, GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, applications in expert systems etc from Geomatics Engg Section, Civil Engg Dept., Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, and Politecnico di Torino Italy along with research collaborations at different times with Cartography Dept., Univerzita Pardubice Czech Republic, and ACATECH Germany etc. I worked as Senior GIS Specialist in the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation & Urban Planning (CiSTUP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore developing spatial records for urban conglomerates in developing countries viz. India, working with LUCIS, ArcGIS, MATLAB and CAD in India and Turkey. I have been involved with multiple city developmental projects using geoinformatics, webGIS, Distributed GIS, cartoGIS and SmartCity GIS. I was supervising doctoral and post graduate researchers on impact on socioeconomy around Black Sea region using remote sensing hazard analysis for coastal hazards and municipal AutoCAD / netCAD / LISCAD real-estate records in GIS. I am integrating geospatial information technologies and Geographic Information System Science centred Knowledge Based Expert Systems (KBES) in Complex Distributed Processing Environment. For engineering classes, I have taken ML/AI labs and taught database management systems.
By my education, I am adept at Remote Sensing, GIS, Geodesy, GNSS, NAVSTAR-GPS, Photogrammetry (Analog+Digital), Surveying technologies, land use land cover analysis, basically the whole gamut of Geomatics. I have set-up geo-informatics lab, guided students and done projects for CiSTUP, IISc with ArcGIS, ERDAS, QGIS, ENVI and other advanced geospatial software both commercial and open source. I acquired experience in guiding on multi-agent simulation model PLASMA (Computer Science Dept., Bremen University Germany collaboration with CiSTUP IISc) setup environment, working and architecture understanding which I used for 3D traffic simulation modelling; also guiding on geo-deformation analysis / seismic induced landslide KB creation having millions of rules permutations and combinations. In software industry I have worked on core JAVA (J2EE), JavaScript, XML, HTML, C++ etc. I have used Google maps for validations of my outputs. My engagements as a Visiting Erasmus Mundus Post-Doctoral Fellow at Politecnico di Torino, Italy from University of Pardubice Czech Republic where I was a Senior Researcher, have imparted expertise in WebGIS based Interlinking of Opensource Geo-spatial Datasets For Optimal Utility in Ranking of Places and Warning Communication & Alert Systems at ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance Cooperation & Action), Politecnico di Torino, incorporating the unique feature of joining additional information from data mining on GeoNames, OpenStreetMap, Natural Earth, GAUL, SALB, GADM etc. Through this research my group has been a very active contributor to CARTOCON-2014. I have experience in processing LiDAR point cloud elevation data, having a significant publication on that, quite big datasets using distributed computing in Hadoop, QGIS, Python, R and PostgreSQL. I have developed Inference Engines based Intelligent GeoAware Systems for my master’s research and doctoral thesis, and published related papers in journals of repute.
My work involves large data processing requirements amounting to billions of nodes being processed in GIS towards which some progress has been made by me using distributed processing on Apache Hadoop cluster. I want to bring my expertise in earth observation data processing in the domain of Big Geospatial Data to this position in your prestigious department. As part of my master’s and doctoral research the impact came from including in system development programming of Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems, Knowledge Representation Scheme, GIS and Remote Sensing. Such tasks involving Big Data have honed my skills further in geographical project handling, geospatial data interoperability, web-based GIS involving solving of research and development tasks. With the stress on distributed systems models of web-based GIS (eg. design of models of distributed systems, distributed data storage, and the distributed application logic, design of usable user interface) and processing and optimization of spatial and non-spatial data, for their publishing by means of web-based GIS applications, teaching and tutorials for cartography/digital mapping in undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD study programmes, publications in specialized especially impacted journals and self-education have increased my capabilities.
My current activities have been in Geomatics engg, Information Technology, Geo-informatics and ICT for sustainable development, GIS for Urban Planning, Smart Cities Concepts and Frameworks, Knowledge-based expert systems, AI, Remote Sensing, Mapping, Digital (Satellite) Image Processing, Geo-spatial & land use land cover analysis, Geographical Info. Sys. (GIS), Distributed GIS, WebGIS, Intelligent Urban/Traffic Systems, Geodesy, GNSS Global Pos. Sys. (GPS), Photogrammetry, Geo-hazard warning/alert systems, Digital Surveying, Multi-Agent Simulations, Apache Hadoop & Big Data, Disaster Management, Software Programming. My current research is on multidimensional distributed Geographic information systems (GIS) using open source geo-data sets for sustainable smart cities (GEO-C) using geo-informatics, computer science, information management, geographic information systems and related disciplines in smart cities and/or in research areas related to smart cities (e.g., GIS, sensors, location-based services, mobile and ubiquitous computing, crowd sourcing, technology adoption by citizens). Programming in open-source software with the underlying licenses, methods and tools and management of technical aspects of developing a large open-source framework.
The architecture proposed includes web-geoinformatics for creating schema & interface for mapping under OGC standards (a smart cities system - SMACiSYS) by interlinking open-source geo-spatial datasets enhancing ranking of locations. It is based on applying geomatics for sustainable societies from automated natural hazard monitor WEBGIS with internet-sms warning to urban design, intelligent transportation systems, disaster management spatial data infrastructure (SDI). Smart city architecture depends upon eight critical factors of smart city initiatives: management and organization, technology, governance, policy context, people and communities, economy, built infrastructure, and natural environment. My research and teaching experience have been diverse, but always connected to GI Systems. I have taught in Indian and European universities and have been very well received everywhere. In Nova IMS, Univ Nova Lisboa I have taken classes of Erasmus course on GIS. I oversaw 6 Early Stage Researchers (PhDs) directly and 9 more indirectly / remotely. In Bulent Ecevit University (BEU) Turkey I was Assistant Professor of Geomatics and GIS taking 10 courses in 3 semesters. I have offered new courses in geo-informatics and ICT in urban development by including the recent trends in these areas. I involve the students in mid-semester presentations, group research and ideas exchange sessions for maximum effectivity, apart from the occasional quiz and home-works. I have taken theoretical and practical classes in Geomatics for IITR BTech, MTech students as well as field GPS camps right from my postgrad and doctoral time in IITR. I was a Lecturer of Computer Science & Engineering at Mewar Institute of Technology, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India where I taught B.Tech 1st & 3rd years Programming Language C, Computer Architecture and Operating System Concepts. I articulated logically the responses to doubts and clarifications. I have held Assistant Professor and post-doc positions and mentored students and trainees. My basic inclination and desire are to propagate knowledge to young minds and to be able to teach Geomatics domain for the benefit of the society and progress rapidly in this interdisciplinary direction both in teaching and research.
I have research experience in integration of hazard assessment system and hazard warning communication system in a geocoded baseframe. The mobile warning of impending hazard required location identification of the mobiles with GPS and geo-referencing with hazard location data w.r.t. any cellphone tower coordinates, all these being part of my doctoral thesis. I have extracted GPS locations by interfacing the Lassen SQ GPS receiver and Atmel Microcontroller displaying GNSS NMEA data stream x, y, z coordinates on a LCD (2×16 line). I have also recorded Geo-Deformation Analysis Using geodetic dual frequency GPS sets. Location based services have been my domain of activity. The first of my well documented research was on Landslide Hazard Assessment System for which I have many international publications and my monograph published by LAP-Lambert Germany as a book. The other generalised system constructed by me is a GeoHazard Warning Communication System which is also very much accepted by the international scientific community in the form of many publications, chapters in books and an authored monographic book. I have developed a technical documentation for CiSTUP, IISc Bangalore which discusses stability & safety issues of developmental activities on slopes with failures, landslides, rockslides prevention and detailed measures. My PhD thesis was awarded Indian National Academy of Engineering Best Doctoral Thesis and recently Gandhian Tech Innovation Award by National Innovation Foundation. The technology used being geomatics engineering for efficient and improved results and meaningful outputs.
My past research has been on automating a procedure for deciphering and warning impending natural hazard at different scales using geospatial datasets at Geomatics Engg Section Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. I have undergone field surveying camps at Geomatics Section IIT Roorkee as well as helped my supervisors as a trainer in field survey camps of my succeeding batches. The data collected in field using surveying methods with GPS, GIS, Total Stations, Digital Levels, theodolites and other surveying equipments were utilized for map making in traditional plane tabling and digital environments. I have worked extensively with remote-sensing, knowledge-based intelligent decision support systems, GIS, satellite based navigational and geodetic (precise) positioning systems, and image processing and analysis systems for utilization of Geomatics towards sustainable development. I have undertaken in-depth and elaborate Geo-Deformation Analysis Using geodetic dual frequency GPS sets and post processing in Bernese, GAMIT, TGO suites. I have worked with and taught spatial technologies in civil engineering, sustainable development and urban planning centres as well as teaching other geospatial, statistical, modelling and simulation tools to undergraduates, postgraduates, doctoral students and government executives.
In the supervision of doctoral and master level theses, in UnderGraduate and PostGraduate Internships fellows supervision I have guided on geo-deformation analysis / seismic induced landslide KB creation; on PLASMA setup environment, working and architecture understanding; on comparative analysis of different Agent Based Modelling & Simulation tools to see which is best suited for a given application maybe transportation, logistics, game playing etc; on VISUM-VISSIM for 3D/4D traffic simulations. Supervisor For PhD: In BEU I was Co-Supervisor of a Research Scholar with Topic : Multihazard Analysis using GIS for Zonguldak Kozlu area (Surdurulebilir Kentsel gelisim icin Cografi Bilgi Sistemi Destekli Risk Analizi). Also in Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi I was Examiner for final Bachelor degree GIS projects of students. In Portugal I oversaw 6 PhD students for their daily research queries, thesis preparation, and data collection requirements. Development of teaching, experience in course and curriculum development I have modified courses and introduced new contents for the courses given to me. I have long experience in setting up courses and teaching according to the requirement of students and the state of the art in the field.
Being in some of the world reknowned institutions, for me, has been an immense opportunity each time to create a distinct niche for myself as well as the institute in the space of GIScience of the future. With my research and teaching activities across Europe for now 5 years and at IIT Roorkee Geomatics before that, it has become clear that interdisciplinary and multi-discipline work is the way forward for societal development and wholesome knowledge imparting. This opportunity can be fully implemented in an environment of research and teaching, since only a university has a world-class setting on the research and development scene and I would be thrilled to add to its rising vision. My area of work in geo-informatics encompasses many disciplines from information technology applications, computer science, geography, civil engineering, space satellite observation, urban planning, hazard management and more. As a teacher and researcher, I can effectively steer an interdisciplinary group branching out with applications in all these areas. We need more application-oriented approach from geospatial research for better governance, accountability and transparency. The world over the power of location-enabling all activities has been recognized. Even smart cities projects that I was overseeing in a Horizon 2020 programme, are overlaid on geomatics principles which I am contributing. I have been involved with multi-disciplinary teaching courses in Europe offering classes open to many departments. I intend to continue as a teacher and researcher in academic environment for a long-term teaching career.
My diversity experience has been quite rich too. I am Indian and have taught, done research, bonded culturally, socially, sportily and academically in many European countries over long periods for work in European universities, and of course in India. I have been in Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey and currently in Portugal where at each place I have had global students, team-mates, lab mates, officials from government, private sector and NGOs as partners. I have taken lecture courses in classes with over 100 mixed students in many occasions and had a great time. I started learning Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, Czech apart from several Indian languages we Indians are born into. I get very interested in commonality in words that I keep searching in languages I hear. I am a member of EURAXESS Links as a mobility enthusiast researcher in European Union and taken part in propagating mobility through roadshows, workshops, presentations etc. I always look to create joint collaborations between the countries I have been a part of, in research and technology. I like diversity and encouraging people to work together for the greater good of academics and society at large. From my teaching portfolio and research statement it is amply clear that people like having me in their groups and successfully executing tasks. In India we are such a big mix of anciently diverse people with different traditions, customs, followings and habits but we are unified as one population. I derive my motivation from such a culture of unity in diversity. In my last research group, we had members from Columbia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Czech, Spain, China, India, Portugal, Germany, Vietnam, US. There are so many things we learn from each other that it is incredible. Our families are also gaining from the interactivities and develop a wide perspective. That is the wonder of academics and research that it is global and I want to keep at it till the time I can.
At CiSTUP, IISc Bangalore I was engaged in the use of intelligent geo-spatial systems for urban (Bangalore city) environment management. Studies on comparative analysis of different Agent Based Modelling & Simulation tools to see which is best suited for a given application such as transportation, logistics, city planning etc have been conducted by me as well as guiding on VISUM-VISSIM for 3D/4D simulations where 3D & 4D traffic and public transport visualization in Bangalore in a geo-referenced platform was done. As a teaching assistant to my guides at IIT Roorkee I have taken classes in subjects from Geomatics, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Surveying. I have taken practicals in such subjects and tutorials as well, both for undergraduates as well as post-graduates. I have undertaken exam duties, paper preparation and evaluation at IIT Roorkee. In post-doctoral responsibilities at Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation & Urban Planning (CiSTUP), Indian Institute of Science Bangalore I was given the responsibility of mentoring several undergraduate and post graduate students for completion of scientific projects in city traffic planning viz. shortest route finding, signal control, and tracking. I was Visiting Research Scholar in Politecnico di Torino for 1 year during my PhD on a grant by Italian Ministry of University Research for Young Indian Researcher.
I have designed an Interactive Web-GIS based urban traffic & transport management information system. I have been associated with eco-friendly, green, E-mobility at IISc Campus studies and participating in Indo-German ACATECH Consortium seminar at IISc through research contribution. I participated in an ideas exchange programme between the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation and the German visitors from ACATECH. I had associated myself with an IBM Bangalore project on Spoken Web & Smart Mobility for Bangalore. I participated in “Green Talents 2012– the International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development” by Federal Ministry of Education & Research Germany and my proposal was appreciated. I delivered a Report on Green Logistics using Geomatics in Bangalore at CiSTUP wherein I wrote on Data collations for Intelligent Freight Road Transport Management. I was a delegate and participating researcher in Urban Mobility – Challenges, Solutions and Prospects at IIT Madras campus, Chennai. I also attended Volvo Nobel Memorial Seminar discussing urban living solutions in Bangalore.