Welcome to iSMART Lab

Welcome to the Innovative Solutions in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics Technologies (iSMART) Laboratory, founded and led by Prof. Narges Armanfard. Our mission is to pioneer advanced algorithms in artificial intelligence, with expertise in computer vision, time series analysis, tabular data, large language models, and visual language models. Below are our primary areas of focus:

Theoretical Artificial Intelligence: At the iSMART Lab, our research in Theoretical AI is dedicated to exploring foundational principles and pioneering methodologies to advance artificial intelligence technologies. We investigate a broad spectrum of theoretical domains, including attention mechanisms, dimensionality reduction, and time series analysis. Our work also extends to computer vision, where we develop techniques to enhance the interpretation and understanding of visual data. Our research encompasses various learning paradigms such as unsupervised learning, clustering, anomaly detection, reinforcement learning, and inverse machine learning. Additionally, we focus on multi-task and multi-modal learning, as well as self-supervised approaches. Through advancing these theoretical concepts, we strive to improve the robustness, efficiency, and interpretability of AI systems, thereby fostering significant innovations and applications in the field.

Artificial Intelligence in Industry: In the realm of AI in industry, the iSMART Lab leads the integration of artificial intelligence to drive transformative advancements across diverse applications. Our research emphasizes optimizing operations, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring safety and quality within industrial environments. We develop advanced machine learning algorithms and intelligent systems that facilitate automation, predictive maintenance, and process optimization. Whether in autonomous driving technologies, manufacturing processes, or other industrial applications, our work showcases AI’s potential to revolutionize industry operations. By addressing complex challenges and exploring innovative solutions, we assist companies in achieving greater productivity, reducing costs, and fostering innovation across various sectors.

Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare: The iSMART Lab is dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare through cutting-edge AI technologies. Our research aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy, optimize treatment plans, and improve patient outcomes. We develop sophisticated AI algorithms that leverage machine learning, data analytics, and predictive modeling to support early disease detection, personalized medicine, and efficient healthcare management. Our collaborations with healthcare institutions ensure that our technological advancements translate into tangible benefits for patients and medical professionals, driving real-world improvements in patient care and medical research.

We extend our gratitude to McGill University, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), MITACS, SCALE AI, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Nissan, Ericsson, Algoma, Preteckt, Trimac, Agewell, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), Jewish General Hospital, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), National Research Council Canada (NRC), Surftec, and University Health Network UHN for their invaluable support.

Highlights

Aug 2024

GiCiSAD: the first study to present a unified framework for addressing Spatio-Temporal Dependencies, Region-Specific Discrepancies, and Infinite Variations in Skeleton-Based Video Data receives direct first-round acceptance (acceptance rate of ~10 %) at the prestigious Rank A AI Conference, WACV 2025 in Arizona. Congratulations to Ali, Khanh, and the iSMART Team!

Aug 2024

Our Critical Analysis of Anomaly Detection methods is now available here.

July 2024

MOSAD: the first-ever solution for Open-Set Time Series Anomaly Detection is accepted for presentation at the Prestigious Rank A AI Conference, ECAI-24 in Spain! Congratulations to Thomas, Khanh, and the iSMART Team!

June 2024

iSMART Lab Awarded Substantial Grant in Support of its Ongoing Innovations in Industrial Automation! Congratulations to the entire team!

May 2024

Prof. Armanfard was promoted to Associate Professor (Tenured). Congratulations to the iSMART Team!

May 2024

iSMART Lab Awarded Substantial Grant for Innovations in Healthcare and Industrial Automation – Congratulations to the Entire Team!

April 2024

We are being awarded the prestigious and competitive FRQ award in support of our ongoing research on Continual Learning! Congratulations to Zihan and the iSMART team!

April 2024

We are being awarded the prestigious and highly competitive NSERC SGS-M award in support of our ongoing research on epilepsy! Congratulations to Thomas and the iSMART team!

Mar 2024

Part of the results of our research on developing a practical, lightweight abnormal human behavior detection is now available here.

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