Abstract: The past few years have witnessed groundbreaking advances in machine learning such as large language models, generative AI, new architectures, and foundational models. At the same, software stacks for untethered augmented reality goggles with substantial computing power (e.g., Microsoft Hololens 2) have matured recently. At the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) of Nazarbayev University, we leverage these advances to create novel wearable devices. The first part of the talk will be dedicated to assistive devices that support human cognition and perception. Specifically, I will present how we are using AR for human memory augmentation for persons with memory impairments. Afterward, I will show how image captioning combined with text-to-speech on an edge device can be used to create a self-contained assistive device for the visually impaired. In the second part of the talk, I will delve into the potential of wearable technologies for industrial safety. First, I will present our AR-based warning system for operator inattention in industrial settings. Afterward, I will showcase another AR-based safety system that visualizes hot surfaces by integrating thermal camera information into the field-of-view of AR goggles. After having a discussion on lessons learned focusing on aspects such as model optimization, AR device limitations, and edge versus cloud computing, the talk will conclude with a summary of our future research directions.
Bio: Prof. Huseyin Atakan Varol received his B.S. degree in mechatronics engineering from Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey, in 2005, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, in 2007 and 2009, respectively. He was a postdoctoral research associate and then a research assistant professor at Vanderbilt University from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, he joined the Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan, where he currently chairs the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics and directs the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI). His research interests include machine learning, computer vision, soft robotics, sensor fusion, synthetic data and tensegrity. He has published over 100 technical papers on related topics in international journals and conferences.
Dr. Varol was a finalist for the KUKA Innovation Award in 2014. He was also the recipient of the IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics Best Paper Award, and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Outstanding Paper Award. He served as a technical and associate editor for prominent journals and conferences.
