VITAE (PDF)
NARENDRA AHUJA
Donald Biggar Willet Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Coordinated Science Laboratory, and
Beckman Institute
University of Illinois
405 N. Mathews Avenue
Email: ahuja@vision.ai.uiuc.edu
Telephone: (217) 333-1837; Fax: (217) 244-8371
Education
Ph.D. Computer Science
University of Maryland, College Park, May 1979
Thesis title: Mosaic Models for Image Analysis and Synthesis
Thesis advisor: Professor Azriel Rosenfeld
M.E. Electrical Communication Engineering (with Distinction) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, July 1974
Thesis title: Machine Recognition of Spoken Digits Thesis advisor: Professor B.S. Ramakrishna
B.E. Electronics Engineering (with Honors)
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, May 1972
B.E. Project: Design of a Digital Voltmeter
Project advisor: Professor Mohi Mukherjee
Awards and Honors
1999 Donald Biggar Willet Professorship of UIUC College of Engineering
1999 UIUC Campus Award for Guiding Undergraduate Research - Honorable Mention
1999 Emanuel R. Piore Award of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
1998 Technology Achievement Award of SPIE (International Society for Optical Engineering)
1998 Associate in The Center for Advanced Study
1996 Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
1996 Fellow of ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)
1995 Fellow of SPIE (International Society for Optical Engineering)
1994 Fellow of IAPR (International Association for Pattern Recognition)
1992 Fellow of AAAI (American Association for Artificial Intelligence)
1992 Fellow of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
1990 Beckman Associate in the Center for Advanced Study
1985 University Scholar Award
1984 Presidential Young Investigator Award
University Grants Commission Fellowship for the two-year Master's studies
National Scholarship for the five-year undergraduate studies
President of India's Award for merit in High School
President’s (Eagle) Scout
Professional Experience
Teaching: Courses in Computer Vision, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Architecture.
Research: Computer Vision, Image Processing, Robotics, Pattern Recognition, with particular interests
in 3D computer vision, information integration, special sensors, image synthesis, image compression,
video communication, image databases.
Professor 8/88 -
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Computer Science,
Beckman Institute, and Coordinated Science Laboratory
Associate Professor 8/84 – 8/88
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Coordinated Science Laboratory
Assistant Professor 8/79 – 8/84
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Coordinated Science Laboratory
Research Associate 5/79 – 8/79
Faculty Research Assistant 5/78 – 5/79
Computer Vision Laboratory, University of Maryland
Graduate Research Assistant 8/75 – 5/78
Computer Vision Laboratory, University of Maryland
Scientific Officer 9/74 – 7/75
Department of Electronics, Government of India
Research
Students Supervised
Ph.D. - 23completed; M.S. - 29 completed; Undergraduate Honors Projects - 45 completed.
Professional Societies
IEEE Computer Society, Fellow American Association for Artificial Intelligence, Fellow
Association for Computing Machinery, Fellow
International Society for Optical Engineering, Fellow
Optical Society of America, Member
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow
IEEE Technical Committee on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Member
IEEE Technical Committee on Robotics, Member
ACM/TEEE-CS Curriculum Task Force, Reviewer
IEEE PAMI EIC Evaluation Committee, Member, 1996
IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award Committee Member, 1999-
IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award Committee, Chair, 2001-
Editorships
Associate Editor: Computer Vision, Graphics and Image Processing Journal
Member of Advisory Board: IEEE Trans. on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence Journal
Associate Editor: Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision
Associate Editor: Journal of Information Science and Technology
Guest Coeditor, Special Volume on Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence Jrnl., Vol. 78, No. 1 2, Oct 1995
Member, Editorial Board: Pattern Analysis and Applications Journal
Member, Editorial Board: International Journal of Imaging Systems & Technology
Professional Conferences
IEEE Workshop on Computer Vision, 1987, Program Co-chair.
American Association for Artificial Intelligence Conference, 1987, Member - Program Committee.
IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1988, Member - Program Committee.
North American Manufacturing Research Conference, 1988, Member - Organizing Committee.
IEEE Workshop on Interpretation of 3D Scenes, 1989, Invited Panelist.
IEEE Workshop on CAD Based Vision, 1991, Invited Panelist.
IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1991, Member - Program Committee.
NSF Workshop on Future Directions in Computer Vision Research, 1991, Invited Speaker.
NSF Workshop on Active Vision Research, 1991, Invited Participant.
IEEE Workshop on Visual Motion, 1991, Member - Program Committee.
IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1992, Program Co-chair.
AlS'92 3rd Annual Conference on Al, Simulation and Planning, 1992, Member - Program Committee.
IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1992, Invited Panelist.
AAAI International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 1993, Member - Program Committee.
5th UNB International Artificial Intelligence Symposium, 1993, Member - Advisory Committee.
IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 1994, Area Chair.
3rd Int. Conf. on Automation, Robotics and Computer Vision, 1994, Member - Int. Advisory Committee.
Int. Conf. on Expert System for Development, 1994, Member - International Advisory Committee.
TENCON, 1994, Member - International Advisory Committee.
International Dedicated Conference on Mechatronics, 1994, Member - Program Committee.
International Conference on Pattern Recognition, 1994, Member - Program Committee.
2nd Asian Conference on Computer Vision, 1995, Member - International Advisory Committee.
Int. Computer Science Conference, ICSC'95, Hong Kong, Member - International Advisory Committee.
Int. Symp. on Automotive Tech. & Automation, Stuttgart, Germany, 1995, Member - Program Committee.
IEEE Computer Vision Symposium, 1995, Member - Program Committee.
IFIP World Congress 1996, Canberra, Australia, Member - Program Committee.
4th Int. Conf. on Automation, Robotics and Computer Vision, 1996, Member - lnt. Advisory Committee.
Dedicated Conf. on Simulation, Diagnosis & Virtual Reality in the Automotive Industry, Florence, Italy,
1996, Member - Program Committee.
3rd Int. Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics & Vision, Singapore, 1996, Member - Int. Advisory Committee.
Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Albuquerque, NM, 1997, Member - Program Committee.
IEEE Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Puerto Rico, 1997, Member - Program Committee
Int. Conference on Intelligent Information Systems, Bahamas, 1997, Member - Program Committee
TENCON'97, Member - International Advisory Committee
6th Int. Conference on Computer Vision, Bombay, India, Jan. 4-8, 1998, - General Co-Chair
IEEE/ATR Workshop on Computer Vision for Virtual Reality Based Human Comm., Bombay, 1/3/98-CoChair.
3rd Asian Conference on Computer Vision, Hong Kong, 1998, Member - Program Committee
31st Int. Symp. on Automotive Technology & Automation, Dusseldorf, Germany, June 1998, Member – Program
Committee
IEEE Int. Conference on Image Processing, Chicago, IL, Oct. 4-7, 1998, Member - Program Committee
Image and Vision Computing New Zealand '98, Auckland, NZ, Nov. 1998, Member - Program Committee
Int. Conf. on Control, Automation, Robotics & Vision, Singapore, Dec. 1998, Member - Int. Advisory Comm.
7th IEEE Int. Conference on Computer Vision, Kerkyra, Greece, Sept. 1999, Member - Program Committee
4th Int. Conf. Advances in Pattern Recognition & Digital Techniques, Calcutta, 12/99, Member – Advisory Committee
Courses Taught
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (senior/graduate)
Advanced Artificial Intelligence (graduate)
Introduction to Computer Engineering (sophomore/junior)
Computer Vision (graduate)
Computer Organization and Design (senior/graduate)
Introduction to Image Processing and Computer Vision (senior/graduate)
Introduction to Robotics (senior/graduate)
Introduction to Robot Sensing (senior/graduate)
Seminar: Computer Vision (graduate)
Introduction to Manufacturing Engineering (with 15 other faculty) (junior/senior)
Microcomputer Lab (senior/graduate)
New Courses Developed
Computer Vision (graduate)
Introduction to Robotics (with Seth Hutchinson and Mark Spong) (senior/grad, ½ semester)
Robot Sensing (senior/grad, ½ semester)
New Laboratories Developed
Computer Vision and Robotics Laboratory in Beckman Institute (Research)
Robotics Laboratory (with Mark Spong, Teaching)
Participation in New Team-Courses
Seminar: Introduction to Computational Neuroscience (Coordinator: Bill Greenough) (graduate)
Introduction to Manufacturing Engineering (Coordinators: Tom Conry, Dick Devor) (junior/senior)
Introduction to Cognitive Science (Coordinator: Janet Keller) (senior/graduate)
Consulting
About 15 organizations
Technology Transfer
Texture Generation Algorithms used in Flight Simulators developed by General Electric Company
Computational Grouping Algorithms used in Defense Applications Systems developed by Westinghouse
Feature Detection Algorithms used in Map Data Processing Systems developed by Advanced Technology, Inc.
Octree Software Adapted for a Defense Application System Developed by Honeywell
Developed an Automatic, Weld-Evaluation Hardware and Software System for Computer-controlled High-fidelity Welding
for Adaptation by General Motors, Caterpillar and MTS Inc.
Assisted U.S. Army Night Vision Laboratory in the Development of a Radar System
Assisted Corning Inc. in Formulating Plans for Automation of their Measurement and Production Systems
Assisted CMC Limited in Developing a Fingerprint Recognition System
Recent
Media Reports
Daily Illini, July 12, 1990
Inside Illinois, September 6, 1990
Chicago Tribune, May 20, 1991
San Francisco Examiner, May 27, 1991
Oxnard (CA) Press Courier, September 15, 1991
Illinois Technograph, October 1993
Photonics Spectra, November 1993, p. 29
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Science Program "Quirks and Quarks", December 18, 1993;
Repeated in December 1995
International Science and Technology Satellite News, March 2, 1994
Arlington Heights Daily Herald, l,ake County, Illinois, April 4, 1995
Champaign-Urbana News Gazette, April 20, 1995
IEEE Expert, April 1995, pp. 67-70
Popular Mechanics, August 1995, p. 24
Graduating Senior, September 1995, pp. 15-16
Discover Magazine, November 1995, p. 48
ZDF German Television's Program Science and Technology, 1995
San Diego Post Tribune, January 3, 1996
Super Interessante Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 1, Brazil, January 1996, p. 10
Aviation Week and Space Technology, January 1996
ASME Mechanical Engineering Magazine, April 1996, p. 14
Boys' Life, July 1997, p. 12
ASEE PRISM, February 1998, p. 22
Channel 15 News, February 1999
News Gazette, August 2001