About Me
Welcome to my webpage. Here you can find some of my previous research, engineering, design and art projects.
The topics that I'm currently interested in are design, HMI, extended reality(XR), and mixed media. I believe that technology is an extension of our intelligence, catalysing our exploration and learning. An informed and intentional exploration can bring deeper understanding and put forward solutions to our evolving human-machine consciousness.
Starting from my bachelor's and master's multidisciplinary education in Engineering design and Biomedical design engineering, I have been engaged in interdisciplinary industrial projects and academic research. During my education and the wide range of projects, I had the chance to work in design, computer vision, deep learning, human factors, behavioural science, mechanical, electronics, and biomedical engineering.
Presently, I am a PhD researcher at the MXR (Mobility in eXtended reality) Lab in TU Delft under the supervision of Dr. Ir. Yan Feng and Prof. Dr. Ir. S.P. (Serge) Hoogenhoorn. My research aims to investigate the capabilities, and differences of different XR technologies namely VR, AR and MR in pedestrian behaviour studies in various contexts.
The values and working principles that are important for me are having a collaborative mindset, crucial conversations, accountability and compassion.
Let's talk about ideas that inspire and motivation will infect us somewhere.
- Name: Abhinav Azad
- Degree: Master
- Languages: Hindi, English
- Age: 25 years
- Email: a.azad@tudelft.nl
- Download my CV
Python, Matlab, C#
HTML, Latex
Unity, Blender,
ROS, Linux
VR/XR development,
3D-Modelling, CAD
Adobe Creative Suite
Game Design,
Mechatronics
Computer Vision,
ML/DL
Recent News
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[Feb 2024] Conference paper publication : "Virtual Reality-Based Training Simulator for Robot-Assisted Surgery Using Unity and 3D Slicer" at IEEE ic-ETITE 2024.
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[Nov 2023] Started a new position as Doctoral researcher at the MXR (Mobility in eXtended reality) Lab in TU Delft under the supervision of Dr. Ir. Yan Feng and Prof. Dr. Ir. S.P. (Serge) Hoogenhoorn.
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[Aug 2023] Conference paper publication : "Let's Give a Voice to Conversational Agents in Virtual Reality" at INTERSPEECH 2023 Show and Tell (Dublin, Ireland).
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[Sept. 2022] Started a new position as Graduate Research Assistant in SIS Lab under Prof. Giuseppe Riccardi at University of Trento, Italy.
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[Aug. 2022] Research study grant at UniTrento for "Acquisition system for behavioural analysis in Operating Rooms" in Signals and Interactive Systems Labs.
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[July 2022] Awarded "DRONNADULA NAGARATNAM REDDY AWARD for the student with the best academic record in GN 5001- Self Awareness course at IIT Madras Convocatin 2022.
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[June 2022] Conference paper publication : WE-Net: An Ensemble Deep Learning Model for Covid-19 Detection in Chest X-ray Images Using Segmentation and Classification in ICADS 2022.
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[Nov 2021] Published new Game called "Deepspace" built on Unity engine.
Research Projects
Briefing my recent projects and research expereinces
VR Training module for Robotic surgery skill acquisition on Kuka IIWA
📍 IIT Madras, Master's Thesis
- OBJECTIVE: Development of a VR training module on Kuka IIWA for neurosurgery registration task
- METHOD: Characterization of Kuka IIWA and cross platform registration for image-guided surgery using 3D slicer
- Outcome: VR learing environment development for training experience for medical experts and surgeons
Ensemble model for Covid-19 Detection in CXRs
📍 Cerner Intelligence, Oracle
- OBJECTIVE: Chest X-rays image analysis identifying abnormalities for COVID identification
- METHOD: Improvisation in model learning with limit dateset using DL and image processing, unbalanced data handling, feature visualization for AI explain-ability using Grad-cam
- OUTCOME: 98.3% precision in Lungs Segmentation using UNET and achieved 3 disease classification on CXRs with cross-val accuracy over 95% and over 94% Recall for test and validation, work of our group to be published in international conferences
Minuscule parts detection in collaborative robotics
📍 CIIRC, ČVUT
- OBJECTIVE: Real-time detection of miniature parts in Human-Robot interaction assembly line on Nvidia Jetson Nano micro-controller and Intel Realsense dept camera 435i
- METHOD: Built on ROS and optimization by feeding cropped windows of HD stream to the CNN by additional Image processing of the workspace
- OUTCOME: Live detection of tiny parts with Full HD imaging on Jetson Nano was possible 61x faster and currently drafting our paper to publish the research in international journals
Hand-held Grain detector and Analyzer
📍 InfyU Labs
- OBJECTIVE: Develop a device to identify rice types and techniques to segment, separate & use touching rice grains samples to increase sampling efficiency, over Raspberry Pi & Python
- METHOD: Computer vision to detect overlapping grains using convexity criteria on the rice grain contours and separated the contours to increase samples for learning and averaging
- OUTCOME: Developed a Hand-held multi grain analyzer module
Fastening solution for themoset plastics durable to repetitive usage
📍 Nagaoka Universty of Tech, Japan
- OBJECTIVE: Fastening solution for Thermoset Plastics for durable and repeatable usage
- METHOD: Testing of the screws for resulting torques (TD, TS, and TD) using ‘Qualimate Torque Analyzer’ under varied load conditions and different materials
- OUTCOME: Redesigned and developed new tapping screws, “Special Nonserts” for SAIMA Corporation, Japan.
End Effector offset correction in 5-DoF CNC based surgical robot
📍 HTIC, Reseach Park IITM
- OBJECTIVE: Minimizing end-effector offsets in ‘5 DoF spinal surgical robot’ during arm rotations
- METHOD: Utilized Reverse-Engineering for improvement of the actuation process and re-designed the end-effector module: Given the final target and length of the operating needle
- OUTCOME: Achieved Zero-offset condition for rotation of any arm along any axis
Ergonomic Crutch for patients of Indian demography
📍 IIT Bombay
- Winner among all the 16 IITs across India in ‘BETiC3 Medical Innovation Challenge’
- Analyzed gait patterns & developed modern crutch suitable in workspace for Indian patients
- Developed “Ergonomic Crutch” for assisting physically disabled, tackling problems in existing crutches
My Resume
Timeline story for my education and professional experiences
Education
SEMESTER EXCHANGE PROGRAM
2020 - 2021
ČESKÉ VYSOKÉ UČENÍ TECHNICKÉ
Prague, Czech Republic
6th & 7th semester pursuing research and specialisation courses in Biomedical Faculty of ČVUT in Kladno, Czech Republic ČVUT course list CIIRC internship ProjectBachelors and Masters in Engineering Design
>> Specialization in Biomedical Engineering
2017 - 2022
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS
Department of Engineering Design - IITM, Chennai, India
Dual degree in Engineering design at IITM offers an inter-disciplinary curriculum as a combination of Electrical and Mechanical engineering with expertise in a select specialization, introduced with the essence of Design Thinking to tackle the modern engineering problems.
CGPA Grade : 8.14/10 IITM course listJoint Entrance Examination - ADVANCED
2017
Pan India exam conducted by IIT Madras
All India Common List Rank : 9853Total Candiates appeared for exam : 1.59 million
IITs have an acceptance rate of less than 0.5%
Awards
DRONNADULA NAGARATNAM REDDY AWARD
2022
For the student with the best academic record in GN 5001- Self Awareness course, IIT Madras Convocation 2022
Ram Shriram Scholarship
2021
Selected for RSM scholarship among the 14 students selected yearly based on performance
Gold Medal - 7th Inter IIT Tech Meet, IIT Bombay
2018
Winner among all the 16 IITs across India in BeTIC Medical Innovation Challenge
Institute Best Artist Award, IIT Madras
2018
Institute’s “Best Artist Award-2018” in IITM by Vedic with proficiency in Oil painting, Watercolor
Winner at ‘ JIGNYASA Science Fair'
2015
Developed an “Inexpensive soil testing kit” with organic treatment alternatives in mordern farming
National Bal Shree Honor, 📍New Delhi
2013
Honored by the Education minister, India’s most prestigious honor for under 18 years in the stream of Creative Scientific Innovations Innovation
Professional Experience
🧪 Graduate Research Assistant
Sept 2022 - Present(On-going)
Conversational agents, affective computing in VR and augmented point of care in HMI
📍Signals & Interactive Systems lab, Univeristy of Trento, Italy
🏗 Data Analyst
Feb-Dec, 2021 (10 months)
Abnormalities & AI automated Covid-19 detection in CXRs.
See what my colleagues had to say about my time here.📍Cerner Corporation, Bangalore, India
🧪 Computer Vision and Robotics intern
July, 2020 - Feb, 2021 (7 months)
Real-time detection of miniature parts in Robotic assembly line
📍Robot & Machine Perception, CIIRC, Prague, CZ
🏗 Research & product design intern
Nov, 2019 - Feb, 2020 (4 months)
Hand-held Grain detector and Analyzer
📍InfyU labs, IIT Ghandinagar, India
- Worked at an early-stage heath-tech startup, seed funded in crores by Indian angle network
🏗 Materials science intern
May - July, 2019 (3 Months)
Fastening solution on themoset plastics for repetitive usage
📍Nagaoka Univeristy of Technology, Japan
- I was among the top 3 students from India qualified for NUT Summer Industrial Research Internship.
- Guide : Prof. Okazaki Masakazu
🏗 Robotics Intern
Nov- Dec, 2018 (2 months)
5- Dof CNC based spinal surgical robots
📍Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, IITM Research park, India
Design Portfolio
I believe in creating an impact with Art and Technology, art caters our creativity and technology electifies our spirit
Unity projects
- Art
- Design
- Astrophotogrpahy