Malik Saad Sultan, Lead Engineer, IOTSAI

Q. How did you join ASTRI?

ASTRI is the largest R&D center in Hong Kong. I see the opportunity in ASTRI where provides me the chance to create great work and grow within the company by learning new skills.

Q. Tell us more about your area of research.

I have a broad range of research interests from robotics, healthcare, biometric recognition, environment sensing, and AR/VR. I developed a vision-based vehicle positioning system and automate the pick and place task using the 6 DOF robotic arm during my master’s degree. During my PhD, I developed a computer-aided diagnosis system for heart valve diseases and the system was based on ultrasound and doppler videos.

In ASTRI, I joined the Emerging Sensing and Display System (ESDS) team in Jan 2019. The ESDS has a full echo system from hardware to software. The skills and qualifications I possess are a great match for this team and thus provide me the opportunity to work on several R&D projects.

In ESDS, we are developing a biometric system that includes 2D and 3D face (with or without mask), palm print or vein, iris, and gait. Smart environment sensing applications include 360° detection around vehicles, surveillance systems, and behavior analysis. Virtual and augmented reality applications for internally developed head mount display.

Q. In particular, what issues are you hoping to address with your research? Any challenges?

We are developing a privacy-preserved, ultrafast detection and behavior analysis system for extreme lighting conditions that require low power consumption. Such a system can be a key element in the Smart City strategy.

Q. What are some of your proudest moments in your career so far?

I am proud of participating the development of 360 surround view system that enables detection, tracking and counting of pedestrians and vehicles. This innovation has enable ASTRI together with Nexplore to win the silver medal of Community Outreach Award in eLearning Forum Asia 2021.

Q. Tips to excel in the field of your research area.

Recently, AI has influenced all industries and changed the working world. I think a good sense of curiosity and learning concepts of new technologies is essential to be successful in this area. The AI field is now very collaborative, thus working as a team is important. Finally, take online courses to broaden your skills.

Q. What will you do if you are not a researcher?

I love to follow the healthcare industry, thus I might be studying and implementing AI technologies to solve real-world problems in healthcare.

Q. What’s your advice to the young people who want to contribute to the I&T industry and ASTRI?

Young people have a huge potential to make difference by contributing to the industry and society as a whole. So it is important for young people to be equipped with the skills required for employment and keenly follow the industry innovation and trends.