Visual Signal Analysis and Processing Center (VSAP)

Current projects: 

• Remote Sensing Image Segmentation using Convolutional Neural Network and Its Applications to Pan sharpening and Detection, Ph.D. Project of Mr. Essa Basaeed, Supervised by Dr.Mohammed Al-Mualla and co-supervised by: Dr.Harish Bhaskar, Buhooth Scholarship, 2011–2022

• Action/Gesture Recognition under Dynamic Illumination Conditions, Ph.D. Project of Mr. Buti Al-Delail, Supervised by Dr.Harish Bhaskar and co-supervised by: Dr.Jamal Zemerly and Dr.Mohammed Al-Mualla, Buhooth Scholarship, 2014–2018

• Crowd Emotion Detection and Visualization from Stationary Video Feeds, Ph.D. Project of Ms. Sohailah Alyammahi, Supervised by Dr.Harish Bhaskar and co-supervised by: Dr.Dymitr Ruta and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Buhooth Scholarship, 2014–2018

• Visual Data Mining during Aerial Surveillance, M.Sc. Project of  Mr. Hamdan Al Shekalli,  Supervised by Dr.Andrzej Sluzek and co-supervised by: Dr.Harish Bhaskar, EARTH/ETIC Scholarship, 2015-2022

• A Quantum-based Approach to De-noising High ISO Images, M.Sc. Project of Ms. Nour Abura’ed, Supervised by Dr.Faisal Shah Khan and co-supervised by: Dr.Harish Bhaskar, Teaching Assistantship Scholarship, 2015-2022

• Optimization-based Technique for Body-parts Localization in Video, Ms. Dina Atia, Supervised by Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla and co-supervised by: Dr.Harish Bhaskar, Visual Signal Analysis and Processing (VSAP) Research Center, 2015–2022

Completed projects:

• Sensor fusion-based big data analytics for intelligent healthcare surveillance system, AED 354245, Al Ghurair University-Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST, 2015

• Compliant Exoskeleton: Shared Autonomous Mobile Robot Manipulation Using a Compliant Exoskeleton, AED 2,210,000, Al Ghurair University Internal Research Fund Level 2, 2014-2015

• Wireless Baseband: SoC for Biomedical and Surveillance Applications, AED 1,650,000, Semiconductor Research Center (SRC) , 2013-2014

• Crowd Analysis in Surveillance Environments, AED 199250, Al Ghurair University Internal Research Fund Level 1, 2013

• Intelligent Multi-Sensor Surveillance System for Elderly Care, AED 250000, Al Ghurair University-Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST, 2013

• Autonomous Human Target Identification and Tracking using Multiple Cameras in Crowded Environments, AED 176354, Al Ghurair University Internal Research Fund Level 1, 2012

• Efficient algorithms and architectures for feature point detection

• Target detection, tracking and Identification using multiple cameras (static/moving)

• Autonomous human target identification and tracking using multiple cameras in crowded environments

• Low light image enhancement – fog/haze removal

Facilities:

• Indoor surveillance environment consisting of 6 cisco cameras with a 4TB Rack Server
• Dark room environment for lighting controlled data collection and experimentation
• Cameras: Canon 1D, Lytro Illum, FLIR Thermal camera, USB FLEA, Kinect, among others.

Expertise:

• Low-level image enhancement RR Contrast enhancement RR Perceptual image processing
• Target detection, tracking, reidentification and motion analysis
• Multi-camera modeling, calibration, tracking
• Moving camera target detection and tracking
• Visual search and classification.

Current projects: 

• Securing Video Transmission of Remote Surveillance using Selectively Combined In-Compression and Encryption Techniques, Ph.D. Project of Mr. Khalfan Al-Marashada, Supervised by Dr.Mohammed Al-Mualla and co-supervised by: Dr.Harish Bhaskar and Dr.Thomas Martin, EARTH Scholarship, 2013–2022

• Digital image watermarking for medical images, Prof. Hussein Al-Ahmad and Dr. Fatma Taher, 2014-2018

Completed projects:

• Link adaptation for wireless video communication systems, Ph.D. Project of Mr. Husameldin Mukhtar, Supervised by Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla and co-supervised by Dr. Arafat Al-Dweik, 2011-2014

• Digital image watermarking for satellite images

Facilities:

• VSAP hosts HPC facilities through its IBM Server (IBM System x3650 M3). Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft® PixelSense™
• VSAP strongly partners with University of Bristol and Al Ghurair University Robotics Institute
• (AGURI) for data acquisition, field-testing and operations
• VSAP works together with the Information Security group at AGU on some projects

Expertise:

• Scalable video coding, transcoding
• Link adaptation
• Wireless video communication efficiency, complexity and resilience
• Digital watermarking.

Biometrics and Bio-imaging

Current projects 

• Automatic polyp detection in endoscopy videos, AED 152571, Al Jalila Foundations, 2022-2022

• Enhanced imaging techniques for identification of calcification in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAAs), AED 270541, Al Jalila Foundations, 2022-2022

• Computer-Aided Diagnosis System for Early and Automated Detection of Infantile Dysmorphic Syndromes in the UAE, AED 1674000, Al Ghurair University Internal Research Fund Level 2, 2015-2022

• Detecting Down Syndrome in Infants Using Facial 2D and 3D Images, AED 190000 Al Ghurair University Internal Research Fund Level 1, 2014

• Capsule localization using multiple images in capsule endoscopy, Ph.D. Project of Ms. Yasmeen, Supervised by Prof. Jorge Dias and co-supervised by Dr. Harish Bhaskar, and Prof. Paulo Dario, 2014 – 2022

Completed projects

• Computer-Aided Diagnosis System for Early Detection of Cervix Cancer from Pap Smear images, AED 46000, Terry Fox Foundation, 2014
• People identification from Partially Hidden 3D Facial Images, AED 160000, National Research Foundations, 2014
• A Grading System for Assessing Posterior Capsule Opacifiaction using Medical  Images, AED 190000, National Research Foundation, 2012

Facilities

• Dedicated Biometrics lab space within the VSAP center.
• 3D Face scanners, Bumblebee Stereo camera, Multispectral Fingerprint scanner, Fujitsu PalmSecure Palm Vein Scanner and Gazepoint Eye Tracker.
• VSAP strongly partners with University of Bristol and Biomedical Engineering Department at AGU for field testing and operations.
• VSAP also has strong links with key medical institutions and clinics that provide necessary support and data on several projects.

Expertise

• 2D/3D Face analysis
• Face Expression Analysis
• Macro-scale / Micro-scale object motion capture, detection, tracking and analysis Segmentation and detection
• 2D, 3D modeling and reconstruction
• Visualization and assessment of medical digital images

• 1) A.Sluzek, M.Paradowski, “Improved Credibility of Keypoint Matching by Using Co-affine Pairs of Ellipses”, Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing, 2011, Vol.102/2011), pp 67-75,Springer Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg.

Journals:

• Y.H. Chua, C.S. Tan, Zh.H. Lee, T.Y. Chai, G. Seet, A. Sluzek “Using MTF with fixed-zoning method for automated gated imaging system in turbid medium”, Indian Journal of Geo-marine Sciences, vol 40(2).
• N. Werghi, “Extracting Ordered Patterns from a Triangular Mesh Surface: Approach and Potential Applications”, IEEE Potentials, Vol. 30, No.6, pp.34-43, November 2011.
• N.Werghi, “Assessing the Regularity of 3D Triangular Mesh Tessellation Using a Topological Structured Pattern”, Computer-Aided Design and Applications, Vol. 8, No.5, pp.633-648, 2011.
• F. Kamoun, N. Werghi, M. Al Blushi, “On the Appropriateness of Incident Management Systems in Developing Countries: A Case from the UAE”, Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, Vol. 5(4), pp.57-69, 2011.
• “Combined Data Association and Evolving Population Particle Filter for Multiple Articulated Target Tracking”, H.Bhaskar, L.Mihaylova, EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 642532, 12 pages doi:10.1155/2011/642532, Jan. 2011.

Conferences:

• A. Sluzek, M. Paradowski, “Assessment of Visibility Quality in Adverse Weather and Illumination Conditions”, LNCS vol.6835, (Proc. DAGM 2011), Frankfurt.
• M.Paradowski, A.Sluzek, “Automatic Image Annotation by Image Fragment Matching”, 6th Int. Symp. Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Applications (AAIA'11), Szczecin.
• Z.H.Lee, Y.H.Chua, C.S.Tan, X.Wang, C.W.Teoh, G.Seet, A.Sluzek, “Post-processing of Gated Images By Using Seed Growing Fusion Approach”, Proc. 2011 IEEE Conf. on Sustainable Utilization and Development in Engineering and Technology (2011 IEEE STUDENT), Cyberjaya
• N.Werghi, M. Naqbi, “A Novel Surface Pattern for 3D Facial Surface Encoding and Alignment”, IEEE Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (SMC2011), Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 2011.
• N. Werghi, H.Bhaskar, Y.Meguebli, H.Boukadia, “The Spiral Facets: A Unified Framework for the Analysis and Description of 3D Facial Mesh Surfaces”, Proc. Int. Conference Computer Vision Theory and Applications (VISAPP) 2011, pp. 30-39, Algrave Portugal, 2011
• “Coastline Detection Using Coupled Variational Level-Set Formulation”, H.Bhaskar, 4th International IET Conference on Imaging for Crime Detection and Prevention (ICDP), 2011
• “Virtual Mouse - Human Eye Controlled Assistive Mouse Movements”, S.Alsharif, H. Bhaskar and Y. Iraqi, Undergraduate Conference on Applied Computing (URC), Dubai, 2011. [Best Paper Award]
• “Rectangular Empty Parking Space Detection Using SIFT Based Classification”, H.Bhaskar, N.Werghi, S. Al Mansoori, VISAPP 2011.
• “Comparing Hough and Radon Transform based Parallelogram Detection”, H. Bhaskar, N.Werghi, IEEE GCC Conference, Dubai, 2011
• “Extraction and Alignment of Facial Regions for 3D Facial Image-Based Recognition”, N.Werghi, H.Bhaskar, A.Malek, IEEE GCC Conference, Dubai, 2011
• Lung Cancer Detection by using Artificial Neural Network and Fuzzy Clustering Methods , Proceeding of the 2011 IEEE GCC Conference and Exhibitions, F. Taher and R. Sammouda
• Lung Cancer Detection based on the Analysis of Sputum Color Images, Proceeding in the International Conference on Image Processing, Computer Vision, & Pattern Recognition (IPCV'10:WORLDCOMP 2010), F. Taher and R. Sammouda

• A Grading System for Assessing Posterior Capsule Opacification using Medical Images - National Research Foundation, 2012 (AED 190,000) 
• Autonomous Human Target Identification and Tracking Using Multiple Cameras in Crowded Environments - AGUIRF L1, 2012 (AED 176,354)