Northeastern University professor Raymond Fu has a knack for transforming fundamental research into successful commercial ventures.
He’s almost got it down to a science.
Since joining the university in 2012, he has spun out more than four technology startups out of Northeastern University’s Synergetic Media Learning Lab, which focuses on big data, artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies.
In 2015, Fu, who has dual appointments in the College of Engineering and Khoury College of Computer Sciences, cofounded TVison Insights, which uses computer vision technology to collect data on people’s watching habits for advertisers.
There’s also Giaran Inc, which uses facial-recognition technology to let people virtually try on makeup. Founded in 2016, the company had so much success it was bought by the Japanese multinational cosmetics company Shiseido in 2017.
His more recent AI-focused startups include AInnovation, which develops lightweight AI models, and bitHuman, which is focused on developing more general purpose AI technologies.
For this work and his advancements “computer vision and augmented human-machine interaction,” Fu has been honored with the the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Kiyo Tomiyasu Award.
Established in 2001 by IEEE member and renowned Japanese-American engineer Kiyo Tomiyasu, best known for his work in microwave and remote-sensing technologies, the award honors one early- to mid-career individual each year for their contributions “to technologies holding the promise of innovative applications,” according to IEEE, a global technical organization dedicated to advancement of electrical engineering.
“This means a lot to me because this is more of a high-level recognition of all my efforts in the past two decades,” Fu said.
Fu is the second faculty member in Northeastern’s Department of Electrical Computer Engineering to receive the honor, according to Edmund Yeh, the department’s chair. Yonina Eldar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and a Joseph E. Aoun chair, was awarded the honor in 2016 while a faculty member at the Israel Institute of Technology.
On Fu’s contributions to Northeastern, Yeh lauded his “many foundational innovations that have advanced both the theory and practical applications of AI.”
The Tomiyasu Award is one of IEEE’s “most prestigious Technical Field Awards and Raymond’s selection further strengthens Northeastern’s international reputation in artificial intelligence and intelligent systems,” Yeh said.
Making specific mention of Fu’s work on computer vision technologies, Yeh, highlighted his work on advancing computer vision architecture technologies that have “established new benchmarks for AI-based image restoration and enhancements.”
That includes his work on Residual Dense Networks (RDN) and Residual Channel Attention Networks (RCAN), which are deep learning architecture systems used to make images sharper and clearer.
According to Yeh, Fu’s work has been cited over 15,000 times, and he remains among the most influential contributors in computer vision research.
Another one of Fu’s innovations is his lightweight neural network architecture system StarNet, which is designed to provide excellent performance for AI development with “low computational cost.”
On Fu’s commercial ventures, Yeh spoke on the scale of his impact.
“Today those technologies support digital experiences for hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide,” Yeh said.
