Faculty Profile

National Center of Robotics & Automation (NCRA) Pakistan - Mirpur, Pakistan

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan

Research Associate

01/11/2023

Research Associate | ML Engineer - Robotics Engineer

Conducted extensive research and development in computer vision, focusing on lane detection and on-road object detection algorithms. Enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of these systems, contributing to advancements in autonomous driving technologies.Designed and implemented embedded systems for robotics and automation projects. This included hardware component selection, microcontroller programming, and ensuring system functionality aligned with the specific objectives of each research initiative. Led the design and development of a PCB for a self-driving vehicle, integrating advanced control mechanisms via a mobile app and incorporating AI capabilities with a Jetson Nano for autonomous functionalities. This project significantly improved the vehicle's autonomous driving capabilities.

 

Special Communication Organization (SCO) Mirpur AJK - Mirpur, Pakistan

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan

Network Engineering

[ 10/07/2023 - 17/08/2023 ]

As an intern at SCO (Special Communications Organization), I undertook diverse responsibilities crucial to telecommunication operations. This encompassed work with GSM/NGMS services, PSTN management, optical fiber transmission, telecommunication power systems, and call center handling. I also contributed to GPON and broadband services, microwave transmission, and highquality decision-making. My role involved active problem-solving and a commitment to staying updated with industry trends. My professionalism, collaboration, and documentation ensured a productive and customer-focused environment, supporting SCO's telecommunications excellence and reliability.

 

 

Improving Road Safety With Enhanced Vehicle Detection for Night-time Traffic

This paper presents a study on improving night-time vehicle detection in the Mirpur region through a modified neural network model. Given the challenges of low visibility at night, the research focused on optimizing a deep learning algorithm to enhance detection accuracy. A dataset of 10,000 images covering various vehicle types was collected and annotated to train and test the model. The study found a 7% increase in detection performance compared to the standard model, highlighting the potential for tailored algorithms in specific environmental conditions. The findings suggest significant implications for road safety and autonomous driving systems, particularly in regions with similar night-time driving challenges. The research contributes to the broader field of computer vision by showing the effectiveness of model optimization in real-world conditions.

Authors: Usama Younis | Journal Name: International Conference on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (ICRAI) | Publisher: IEEE

Younis, Usama, et al. "Improving Road Safety With Enhanced Vehicle Detection for Night-time Traffic in Mirpur." 2024 International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI). IEEE, 2024.

 

Social Media Data: Challenges, Mitigation Strategies, and Opportunities for Disaster Management

For disaster management, the accurate and timely availability of factual information is crucial for effective decisionmaking and response. Traditional communication channels are either costly or do not provide real-time data. Here comes the role of social media data due to its ability to swiftly disseminate real-time information, allowing for community engagement and situational awareness of the disasters. However, leveraging social media data for this application is not without challenges. It is quite challenging to deal with the four Vs-volume, velocity, variety, and veracity of the social-media data to increase its value for decision-making. To overcome these challenges and enhance the quality of data, implementing robust techniques and strategies is of profound importance. This paper highlights critical challenges associated with using social media data in disaster management and proposes a comprehensive framework of methods, techniques, algorithms, and methodologies to improve data quality. By systematically addressing these challenges, we can harness the full potential of social media data to support disaster response efforts and ultimately save lives.

Authors: Samia Abid; Bhupesh Kumar Mishra; Usama Younis; Dhavalkumar Thakker; Nishikant Mishra | Journal Name: Frontiers of Information Technology (FIT) | Publisher: IEEE

Abid, Samia, et al. "Social Media Data: Challenges, Mitigation Strategies, and Opportunities for Disaster Management." 2024 International Conference on Frontiers of Information Technology (FIT). IEEE, 2024.

 

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

[ 22/04/2025 - 24/04/2025 ] NUST, Islamabad

ASEAN-PAKISTAN TECHNOLOGY EXPO 2025 (APTEX’25)

At the ASEAN-Pakistan Technology Expo 2025 (APTEX’25), organized by the National Center of Robotics & Automation (NCRA), our team proudly presented the Autonomous Industrial Loader—a cutting-edge solution designed to revolutionize material handling in industrial environments. Developed within CAR-LAB at MUST Mirpur, this intelligent system integrates com puter vision, AI-based path planning, and sensor fusion to autonomously transport and position heavy loads with precision and safety. The loader demonstrates robust obstacle avoidance, adaptive navigation, and real-time decision-making, making it ideal for dynamic factory settings. This innovation reflects our commitment to advancing smart robotics for industrial automation in Pakistan and beyond.

 

[ 18/12/2024 - 19/12/2025 ] NUST College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Islamabad

6th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (iCRAI 2024)

Presented a research paper on a Night Scenario Dataset for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) at the 6th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (iCRAI 2024). The paper highlighted the challenges of nighttime perception in autonomous driving and introduced a specialized dataset to address these issues. The conference provided a valuable platform to discuss innovations and exchange ideas with leading experts in the fields of robotics and automation.

Link: https://nust.edu.pk/events/6th-international-conference-on-robotics-and-automation-in-industry-icrai-2024/

 

[ 18/04/2024 - 20/04/2024 ] Lahore

ITCN - Asia 2024

Participated in ITCN Asia, a premier tech event organized by Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., which brings together Pakistan’s tech and startup ecosystem. At this event, we showcased and commercialized our product, the "Self-Driving Autonomous Industrial Loader," highlighting its capabilities in autonomous navigation and industrial automation. This platform allowed us to engage in networking, knowledge sharing, and lead generation activities, contributing to the country’s vision of becoming a regional ICT hub.

Link: https://itcnasia.com/

 

[ 03/03/2023 - 05/03/2023 ] University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar

International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI)

Presented our autonomous loader at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI) held at UET Peshawar. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the advanced features and industrial applications of our self-driving loader to an audience of industry experts and academics, further establishing our presence in the field of robotics and automation.

 

[ 28/10/2021 - 28/10/2021 ] NUST College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Islamabad

4th IEEE International Conference on Robotic and Automation in Industry ICRAI 2021 held at CEME

Presented our autonomous loader at the 4th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI 2021) held at CEME. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the advanced features and industrial applications of our self-driving loader to an audience of industry experts and academics, further establishing our presence in the field of robotics and automation.

Link: https://nust.edu.pk/news/9434/

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Education

MPhil in Computer Science - Specialization in Deep Learning

Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) Continue 

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan 

 

Bachelor of Computer Science

Mirpur University of Sciences & Technology (MUST)

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan

Experience

National Center of Robotics & Automation (NCRA) Pakistan - Mirpur, Pakistan

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan

Research Associate

01/11/2023

Research Associate | ML Engineer - Robotics Engineer

Conducted extensive research and development in computer vision, focusing on lane detection and on-road object detection algorithms. Enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of these systems, contributing to advancements in autonomous driving technologies.Designed and implemented embedded systems for robotics and automation projects. This included hardware component selection, microcontroller programming, and ensuring system functionality aligned with the specific objectives of each research initiative. Led the design and development of a PCB for a self-driving vehicle, integrating advanced control mechanisms via a mobile app and incorporating AI capabilities with a Jetson Nano for autonomous functionalities. This project significantly improved the vehicle's autonomous driving capabilities.

 

Special Communication Organization (SCO) Mirpur AJK - Mirpur, Pakistan

City: Mirpur | Country: Pakistan

Network Engineering

[ 10/07/2023 - 17/08/2023 ]

As an intern at SCO (Special Communications Organization), I undertook diverse responsibilities crucial to telecommunication operations. This encompassed work with GSM/NGMS services, PSTN management, optical fiber transmission, telecommunication power systems, and call center handling. I also contributed to GPON and broadband services, microwave transmission, and highquality decision-making. My role involved active problem-solving and a commitment to staying updated with industry trends. My professionalism, collaboration, and documentation ensured a productive and customer-focused environment, supporting SCO's telecommunications excellence and reliability.

 

 

Publications

Improving Road Safety With Enhanced Vehicle Detection for Night-time Traffic

This paper presents a study on improving night-time vehicle detection in the Mirpur region through a modified neural network model. Given the challenges of low visibility at night, the research focused on optimizing a deep learning algorithm to enhance detection accuracy. A dataset of 10,000 images covering various vehicle types was collected and annotated to train and test the model. The study found a 7% increase in detection performance compared to the standard model, highlighting the potential for tailored algorithms in specific environmental conditions. The findings suggest significant implications for road safety and autonomous driving systems, particularly in regions with similar night-time driving challenges. The research contributes to the broader field of computer vision by showing the effectiveness of model optimization in real-world conditions.

Authors: Usama Younis | Journal Name: International Conference on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (ICRAI) | Publisher: IEEE

Younis, Usama, et al. "Improving Road Safety With Enhanced Vehicle Detection for Night-time Traffic in Mirpur." 2024 International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI). IEEE, 2024.

 

Social Media Data: Challenges, Mitigation Strategies, and Opportunities for Disaster Management

For disaster management, the accurate and timely availability of factual information is crucial for effective decisionmaking and response. Traditional communication channels are either costly or do not provide real-time data. Here comes the role of social media data due to its ability to swiftly disseminate real-time information, allowing for community engagement and situational awareness of the disasters. However, leveraging social media data for this application is not without challenges. It is quite challenging to deal with the four Vs-volume, velocity, variety, and veracity of the social-media data to increase its value for decision-making. To overcome these challenges and enhance the quality of data, implementing robust techniques and strategies is of profound importance. This paper highlights critical challenges associated with using social media data in disaster management and proposes a comprehensive framework of methods, techniques, algorithms, and methodologies to improve data quality. By systematically addressing these challenges, we can harness the full potential of social media data to support disaster response efforts and ultimately save lives.

Authors: Samia Abid; Bhupesh Kumar Mishra; Usama Younis; Dhavalkumar Thakker; Nishikant Mishra | Journal Name: Frontiers of Information Technology (FIT) | Publisher: IEEE

Abid, Samia, et al. "Social Media Data: Challenges, Mitigation Strategies, and Opportunities for Disaster Management." 2024 International Conference on Frontiers of Information Technology (FIT). IEEE, 2024.

 

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

[ 22/04/2025 - 24/04/2025 ] NUST, Islamabad

ASEAN-PAKISTAN TECHNOLOGY EXPO 2025 (APTEX’25)

At the ASEAN-Pakistan Technology Expo 2025 (APTEX’25), organized by the National Center of Robotics & Automation (NCRA), our team proudly presented the Autonomous Industrial Loader—a cutting-edge solution designed to revolutionize material handling in industrial environments. Developed within CAR-LAB at MUST Mirpur, this intelligent system integrates com puter vision, AI-based path planning, and sensor fusion to autonomously transport and position heavy loads with precision and safety. The loader demonstrates robust obstacle avoidance, adaptive navigation, and real-time decision-making, making it ideal for dynamic factory settings. This innovation reflects our commitment to advancing smart robotics for industrial automation in Pakistan and beyond.

 

[ 18/12/2024 - 19/12/2025 ] NUST College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Islamabad

6th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (iCRAI 2024)

Presented a research paper on a Night Scenario Dataset for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) at the 6th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (iCRAI 2024). The paper highlighted the challenges of nighttime perception in autonomous driving and introduced a specialized dataset to address these issues. The conference provided a valuable platform to discuss innovations and exchange ideas with leading experts in the fields of robotics and automation.

Link: https://nust.edu.pk/events/6th-international-conference-on-robotics-and-automation-in-industry-icrai-2024/

 

[ 18/04/2024 - 20/04/2024 ] Lahore

ITCN - Asia 2024

Participated in ITCN Asia, a premier tech event organized by Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., which brings together Pakistan’s tech and startup ecosystem. At this event, we showcased and commercialized our product, the "Self-Driving Autonomous Industrial Loader," highlighting its capabilities in autonomous navigation and industrial automation. This platform allowed us to engage in networking, knowledge sharing, and lead generation activities, contributing to the country’s vision of becoming a regional ICT hub.

Link: https://itcnasia.com/

 

[ 03/03/2023 - 05/03/2023 ] University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar

International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI)

Presented our autonomous loader at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI) held at UET Peshawar. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the advanced features and industrial applications of our self-driving loader to an audience of industry experts and academics, further establishing our presence in the field of robotics and automation.

 

[ 28/10/2021 - 28/10/2021 ] NUST College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Islamabad

4th IEEE International Conference on Robotic and Automation in Industry ICRAI 2021 held at CEME

Presented our autonomous loader at the 4th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Industry (ICRAI 2021) held at CEME. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the advanced features and industrial applications of our self-driving loader to an audience of industry experts and academics, further establishing our presence in the field of robotics and automation.

Link: https://nust.edu.pk/news/9434/

Interests

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