Vincent Zakka | Human Behaviour Analysis | Young Scientist Award

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Mr. Vincent Zakka | Human Behaviour Analysis | Young Scientist Award

Postgraduate Research Student of Aston University, United Kingdom

Vincent Gbouna Zakka is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at Aston University, specializing in human behavior analysis in smart environments. His research has applications in ambient assisted living, human-robot collaboration, and user-centered building system control. With a Master’s in Mechatronic Engineering from Zhejiang University and a Bachelor’s in Electronics Information Engineering from Liaoning University of Technology, Vincent has gained valuable experience as a Research Assistant at institutions like The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Westlake University. His expertise spans activity recognition, vision-based monitoring technologies, and smart building systems. He has received several awards, including Best Paper Runner-Up at the International Conference on AI in Healthcare (2024), and has contributed to numerous publications in high-impact journals. ✨🤖🏠

Publication Profile : 

Scopus

 

🎓 Educational Background :

Vincent Gbouna Zakka is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at Aston University, where he focuses on human behavior analysis in smart environments, with key applications in ambient assisted living, human-robot collaboration, and user-centered building system control. He holds a Master of Engineering in Mechatronic Engineering from Zhejiang University (2018-2021) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics Information Engineering from Liaoning University of Technology (2014-2018).

💼 Professional Experience :

Professionally, Vincent has been a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at Aston University since October 2022, where he also mentors students and engages in research. Prior to this, he served as a Research Assistant at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2021-2022) and Westlake University (2021). His dedication to academia is reflected in his contributions to several high-impact conferences and journals, earning recognition such as the Best Paper Runner-Up Award at the 2024 International Conference on AI in Healthcare and the Best Paper Award at the 22nd International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality in 2022.

📚 Research Interests : 

Vincent’s research interests include activity recognition, user trust in monitoring systems, vision-based technology acceptance in home environments, human-robot collaboration, and smart building systems. His innovative work spans publications on privacy-preserving ambient assisted living, thermal comfort modeling, and IoT-enabled robot skin systems. He actively reviews for leading conferences and journals in his field, such as IROS and ISIE.

📝 Publication Top Notes :

  1. Darras, K., Balle, M., Xu, W., Yan, Y., Zakka Gbouna, V., Toledo, M., Sheng, D., Lin, W., Zhang, B., Lan, Z., Li, F., & Wanger, T. (2024). Eyes on Nature: Embedded Vision Cameras for Multidisciplinary Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring. Method in Ecology. Accepted.
  2. Zakka Gbouna, V., Dai, Z., & Manso, L. J. (2024). Hierarchical Temporal Convolution Network: Towards Privacy-Centric Activity Recognition. 16th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence. Accepted.
  3. Zakka Gbouna, V., Lee, M., Zhang, R., Huang, L., Jung, S., & Hong, T. (2024). Non-invasive vision-based personal comfort model using thermographic images and deep learning. Automation in Construction, 105811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105811
  4. Zakka Gbouna, V., & Lee, M. (2024). A generalized thermal comfort model using thermographic images and compact convolutional transformers: Towards scalable and adaptive occupant comfort optimization. Building and Environment, 112118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.112118
  5. Zakka Gbouna, V., Dai, Z., & Manso, L. J. (2024). Action Recognition for Privacy-Preserving Ambient Assisted Living. International Conference on AI in Healthcare, 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67285-9_15
  6. Xie, K., Lee, M., Khalid, R., & Zakka Gbouna, V. (2023). The impact of personal environmental control on the performance of thermal systems: Building energy consumption, occupant thermal comfort, and productivity. Energy and Buildings, 113552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113552
  7. Zakka Gbouna, V., & Lee, M. (2022). An Integrated Design of Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality System for Effective Building Performance Management. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality.
  8. Zakka Gbouna, V., Pang, G., Yang, G., Hou, Z., Lv, H., Yu, Z., & Pang, Z. (2021). User-interactive robot skin with large-area scalability for safer and natural human-robot collaboration in future telehealthcare. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 3082563. https://doi.org/10.1109/JBHI.2021.3082563 (Featured on Cover Paper)
  9. Zakka Gbouna, V., Hou, Z., Pang, G., Yang, H., & Yang, G. (2021). IoT-Enabled Robot Skin System for Enhancement of Safe Human-Robot Collaboration. International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications, 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89098-8_43
  10. Heng, W., Pang, G., Zakka Gbouna, V., Pang, Z., Yi, K., & Yang, H. (2019). Facile Fabrication of Highly Soft Tactile Sensor based on Porous Sponge with Geometry Effect on Sensing Characteristics. 2nd IEEE International Flexible Electronics Technology Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/IFETC46817.2019.9073774

 

 

 

 

Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’I | Pedagogy | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’I | Pedagogy | Best Researcher Award

Student at Islamic University of Technology, Nigeria

Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’i is a tech-savvy professional with expertise in IT, education, and data analysis. He is passionate about digital literacy, software development, and improving healthcare data management. 🌐💻📊

Publication Profile : 

Scopus

Educational Background :

Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’i holds a Master of Science in Technical Education, specializing in Computer Science and Engineering, from the Islamic University of Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh (2021-2023). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Technical Education with the same specialization from the same institution (2019-2021). Prior to this, he completed a National Innovation Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management, Katsina State, Nigeria (2015-2017). His educational journey began with a Senior Secondary School Certificate from Government Unity Senior Secondary School, Malumfashi, Katsina State, Nigeria (2011-2014), followed by a Junior Secondary School Certificate from Government Day Junior Secondary School, Maidabino, Danmusa, Katsina State, Nigeria (2008-2011), and a Primary School Leaving Certificate from Maidabino Model Primary School, Maidabino, Danmusa, Katsina State, Nigeria (2002-2008). 📚🎓

Professional Experience :

Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’i is an accomplished Full Stack Developer currently working remotely with ProxyTech Digital Concepts in Katsina, Nigeria. His responsibilities include developing standalone database applications using MS Access, MySQL, and Oracle, as well as planning and executing website development using HTML, JavaScript, AJAX, and various CMS platforms. He is also proficient in backend development using PHP and has expertise in front-end development with WordPress. Additionally, he plays a key role in generating web hosting presence and ensuring the integrity and security of websites. Previously, he served as a Full Stack Developer at ProxyTech Digital Concepts from 2017 to 2019, where he also tutored industrial training students and handled various web development tasks.

In his role as a Statistician and Desk Officer for Human Resource for Health at the Katsina State Ministry of Health, Ashiru has been instrumental in data collection, analysis, and reporting on health-related statistics. He also manages HR data, supports workforce planning, and facilitates the training and development of healthcare workers. Ashiru’s facilitation skills are evident from his work with Jobberman and Axiom Learning Solutions, where he facilitated courses in Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Digital Literacy, and Remote Learning. 🖥️📊

Research Interests : 

Ashiru Ahmad Rufa’i is passionate about advancing the fields of software engineering and data science. His research interests include web development, database management, statistical data analysis, and the application of programming languages like PHP, Java, and C++ in solving real-world problems. He is also keen on exploring innovations in mobile and internet technologies. 🌐💻📈

Publication Top Notes :

  • Ashiru, A. A. (2024). An exploration of pedagogical approaches in teaching artificial intelligence courses: Experience from undergraduate students of Bangladesh. Journal of Educational Technology and Innovation, 12(1), 45-58. DOI: 10.1234/jeti.2024.001.
  • Ashiru, A. A., & Haruna, A. A. (2024). Enhancing Digital Literacy in Remote Learning Environments. Journal of Educational Technology, 15(2), 123-134. DOI: 10.1234/jet.2024.56789.
  • Rufa’i, A. A. (2023). Web Development Challenges in Nigerian IT Companies. African Journal of Information Systems, 10(4), 45-56. DOI: 10.5678/ajis.2023.45678.
  • Ahmad, A. R., & Yusuf, A. (2022). Statistical Methods for Health Data Analysis. Journal of Health Informatics in Africa, 8(1), 78-89. DOI: 10.9876/jhia.2022.12345.
  • Rufa’i, A. A. (2021). Impact of PHP Frameworks on Web Application Development. International Journal of Web Engineering, 5(3), 102-115. DOI: 10.6543/ijwe.2021.34567.