Welcome to the Research Group on Data Driven Innovations for Human-Technology Symbiosis
Emory University
ABOUT THE RESEARCH GROUP
With the advancement of technology, we are heading towards a future where we will be interacting, coordinating, and collaborating with different forms of intelligent technology in almost every aspect of our lives. As technology (computers, machines, robots, systems, etc.) becomes more intelligent and human-like, the relationship and interaction patterns between humans and technology are expected to evolve, become interdependent, and approach symbiosis leading to Human-Technology Symbiosis. In such a future, our abilities and our machines' abilities would complement one another, allowing us to pursue goals that they nor we could achieve alone.
As outlined in a recent article on Forbes, the modern-day Internet of Things (IoT) could become the Internet of Bodies (IoB), enabling humans to upgrade their link with technology by wearing devices or by embedding sensors or chips in their bodies. Brain chips, like Elon Musk's Neuralink, may further improve the connection and bandwidth between humans and machines and blur the boundaries between them. There can be several such examples of Human-Technology Symbiosis. At the Research Group on Data-Driven Innovations for Human-Technology Symbiosis, we explore the intersections of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Human-Computer Interaction, Data Analysis, Pattern Recognition, and Natural Language processing to contribute towards advancing research in the areas of human-technology interactions, coordination, and collaborations for the future of Human-Technology Symbiosis.
Dr. Nirmalya Thakur, Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Emory University, USA, is the Director of this Research Group. His research interests include Human-Computer Interaction, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Pattern Recognition, and Natural Language Processing. He has co-authored 45 peer-reviewed publications (14 journal papers, 29 conference papers, and 2 invited book chapters) in these fields. He has delivered 28 presentations as an invited speaker/presenter at international conferences and universities in 9 countries: the United States, Canada, China, France, Denmark, Nepal, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Indonesia. Dr. Thakur has received research funding for his projects in the form of multiple fellowships and grants including a grant from the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Thakur has received several awards, honors, and recognitions both at a national and international level. He has been featured on the cover page of Millennium Magazine, interviewed by IEEE TV, featured by Yahoo News, Business Insider, and multiple other news outlets for his contributions to the field of Computer Science. He received the Young Scientist of the Year Award at the 2nd International Business and Academic Excellence Awards, the Excellent Researcher of the Year Award at the 2nd International Academic and Research Excellence Awards, the Young Innovator Award at the 2nd Universal Innovators Leadership Awards, and the Best Presenter Award at the 5th International Conference on Data Science, and Information Technology. He was was recently featured in the American Scientist Magazine.
Dr. Thakur has advised and mentored several students who have co-authored papers in different international conferences. Some of the recent conferences where his students co-authored papers include the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII 2023) in Denmark, the 5th International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE 2022) in China, and the 7th International Conference on Human Interaction & Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence & Future Applications (IHIET-AI 2022) in Switzerland. In 2022, two of his students also received Research Fellowships to support their ongoing research projects. Please visit the publications section of this website to learn more about these incredible success stories of students in DDIHTS!
DDIHTS submitted 2 papers to the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII 2023) in Copenhagen, Denmark and both papers were accepted for publication. A total of seven undergraduate students at Emory University are co-authors on these papers along with Dr. Thakur. This is the first paper for all these students. DDIHTS and its affiliates congratulates these students - Karam Khanna, Nicole Cui, Nazif Azizi, Chloe Liu (co-authors of Paper #1) and Hazel Cho, Haokun Cheng, and Hyunji Lee (co-authors of Paper #2) for this achievement.
Dr. Thakur delivered a keynote address titled - "Recent Advances in Ambient Assisted Living for the Future of Smart Homes and Smart Cities" at the International Conference on Intelligent Transportation and Smart Cities which took place in Kaifeng, China. The talk presented the recent advances in Ambient Assisted Living to sustain independent living and active aging of the elderly population in the future of IoT-based Smart Homes.
DDIHTS Member - Isabella Hall's paper titled - "A Comprehensive Study to Analyze Trends in Web Search Interests Related to Fall Detection Before and After COVID-19" was accepted for publication at the 5th International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering in China (ACM conference)