My research interests are in the areas of brain-inspired machine intelligence and its applications such as mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. To achieve true machine intelligence, I have taken two different approaches: bottom-up data-driven and top-down theory-driven approach. For the bottom-up data-driven approach, I have investigated the neuronal structure of the brain to understand its function. The development of a high-throughput and high-resolution 3D tissue scanner was a keystone of this approach. This tissue scanner has a 3D virtual microscope that allows us to investigate the neuronal structure of a whole mammalian brain in a high resolution. The top-down theory-driven approach is to study what true machine intelligence is and how it can be implemented. True intelligence cannot be investigated without embracing the theory-driven approach such as self-awareness, embodiment, consciousness, and computational modeling. I have studied the internal dynamics of a neural system to investigate the self-awareness of a machine and model neural signal delay compensation. These two meet in the middle where machine intelligence is implemented for mechanical systems such as mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. I have a strong desire to bridge the bottom-up and top-down approaches that lead me to conduct research focusing on mobile robotics and autonomous vehicles to combine the data-driven and theory-driven approaches.
9.9.2020 MIDAS Faculty Research Pitch Video.
