Patents, Publications and Talks

Patents

1. KM. Varadarajan, J. Drinkard, ‘Autonomous Mapping by a Mobile Robot’, Utility Patent, Japan JP2025536061A, EU EP4623349A1, China CN120153330A (2022- pending).

2. J. Drinkard, KM. Varadarajan, ‘Method and Apparatus for Updating an Environment Map used by Robots for Self-localization’, Utility Patent, United States US12092476B2, EP4309018A4 (2022).

3. ‘Method of Adaptive Structure-driven Compression for Image Transmission over Ultra-low Bandwidth Data Links’, J. Yadegar, J. Yadegar, H. Wei, KM. Varadarajan, S. Zabuawala - United States Air Force Utility Patent, United States US8798383 B1 (2014).

Representative Technical Publications

Astrophysics

1. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Estimation of Initial Conditions for Galaxy Mergers using Regression Network’, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing - ICIP, Tampere, Finland (2026- In Prep).

2. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Anisotropic Despeckling Heat Diffusion for Open Galaxy Clusters Image Processing and Age Determination’, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing - ICIP, Tampere, Finland (2026- In Prep).

3. D. Roberts, F. Shankar, V. Cammelli, F. Fontanot, A. Trinca, L. Bisigello, E. Dalla Bonta, H. Fu, R. Gilli, A. Grazian, L. Graziani, A. Lapi, N. Menci, J. Scholtz, KM. Varadarajan, ‘Too many or too massive? Investigating the high-z demography of active SMBHs from JWST’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society- MNRAS (2026).

4. A. Lapi, F. Shankar, M. Bosi, D. Roberts, H. Fu, KM. Varadarajan, L. Boco, ‘Semi-empirical framework of supermassive black hole evolution: highlighting a possible tension between demographics and gravitational wave background’, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics – JCAP (2026).

5. KM. Varadarajan, F. Shankar, D. Roberts, H. Fu, M. Bernardi, C. Marsden, A. Lapi, N. Menci, V. Allevato, AV. Tetilla, F. Fontanot, L. Boco, A. Smith, ‘A Self-Consistent Data-Driven Approach to Modeling Massive Galaxies, Black Hole Growth and Merger Rates’, Ten Years to LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna): New Challenges and Opportunities in Multimessenger/Multiband Science, NASA, JPL – Pasadena, USA (2025).

6. F. Shankar, M. Bernardi, D. Roberts, M. Arana-Catania, T. Grubenmann, M. Habouzit, A. Smith, C. Marsden, KM. Varadarajan, AV. Tetilla, D. Anglés-Alcázar, ‘Probing the co-evolution of SMBHs and their hosts from scaling relations pairwise residuals: dominance of stellar velocity dispersion and host halo mass’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society- MNRAS (2025).

7. M. Watson, P. Evans, M. Middleton,…, KM. Varadarajan, et al., ‘The NewAthena X-ray Observatory: Unique insights into high-energy astrophysics in the next decade and beyond’, UK Space Frontiers 2035 White Paper (2025).

8. J. Munday, V. Korol, C. Danielski, N. Hallakoun, A. Lamberts, et al., ‘Electromagnetic characterisation of millihertz gravitational-wave sources in the Milky Way’, ESO Expanding Horizons White Paper (2025), Endorsing Scientist / Supporting Contributor (Non-author).

9. F. Shankar, D. Roberts, H. Fu, A. Lapi, M. Bernardi, N. Menci, V. Allevato, KM. Varadarajan, L. Boco, A. Smith, ‘Extracting key demographic properties of the supermassive black hole population from data and data-driven models’, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Symposium: Massive Galaxies Across the Universe, Naples, Italy (2025).

10. KM. Varadarajan, F. Shankar, ‘SMBH Merger Rates and GW Predictions’, Young Astronomers on Galactic Nuclei - YAGN, Southampton, UK (2025- accepted).

3D Reconstruction and RGB-D Data Processing

1. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Monocular and Range Camera Cross-Calibration for RGB-D Sensor Architectures’, IEEE International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications – ICARA, Queenstown, New Zealand (2015).

2. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Multi-modal Manhattan World Structure Estimation for Domestic Robots’, Springer - New Developments in Robot Vision, Cognitive Systems Monographs, Vol. 23 (2015).

3. E. Potapova, KM. Varadarajan, A. Richtsfeld,  M. Zillich, V. Vincze, ‘Attention-driven Object Detection and Segmentation of Cluttered Table Scenes using 2.5D Symmetry’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation – ICRA, Hong Kong, China (2014).

4. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Gaussian-weighted Jensen–Shannon Divergence as a Robust Fitness Function for Multi-model Fitting’, Journal of Machine Vision and Applications - MVA, Springer, DOI. 10.1007/s00138-013-0513-1 (2013).

5. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'Parallel Deep Learning with Suggestive Activation for Cognitive Object Category Recognition', International Conference on Computer Vision Systems - ICVS, St. Petersburg, Russia (2013).

6. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘MRF Guided Anisotropic Depth Diffusion for Kinect Range Image Enhancement’, ACM Asian Conference on Computer Vision – ACCV Workshop on Color Depth Fusion in Computer Vision, Daejeon, South Korea (2012).

7. KM. Varadarajan, K. Zhou, M. Vincze, ‘RGB and Depth Intra-Frame Cross-Compression for Low Bandwidth 3D Video’, IEEE/IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition – ICPR, Tsukuba Science City, Japan (2012).

8. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Robust Multiple Model Estimation with Jensen-Shannon Divergence’, IEEE/IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition – ICPR, Tsukuba Science City, Japan (2012).

9. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Real-time Quadric Fitting for Point Cloud Parametrization using Particle Convergence’, IEEE Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition – CVPR Workshop on Point Cloud Processing – PCP, Providence, USA (2012).

10. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Surface Reconstruction for RGB-D Data using Real-Time Depth Propagation’, IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision – ICCV Workshop on Live Dense Reconstruction from Moving Cameras – LDRMC, Barcelona, Spain (2011).

11. KM. Varadarajan, K. Zhou, M. Vincze, ‘Holistic Shape Detection and Analysis using RGB-D Range Data for Grasping’, IEEE Robotics Science and Systems – RSS Workshop on Advanced Reasoning with Depth Cameras, RGB-D, Los Angeles, USA (2011).

12. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Object Part Segmentation and Classification in Range Images for Grasping’, IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics – ICAR, Tallinn, Estonia (2011).

13. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘3D Room Modeling and Doorway Detection from Indoor Stereo Imagery using Feature Guided Piecewise Depth Diffusion’, IEEE/RSJ International Conference On Intelligent Robots And Systems – IROS, Taipei, Taiwan (2010).

14. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Real-Time Depth Diffusion for 3D Surface Reconstruction’, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing – ICIP, Hong Kong, China (2010).

Cognitive, Computer Vision

1. KM Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘4D Space-Time Mereotopogeometry- Part Connectivity Calculus for Visual Object Representation’, IEEE/IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition - ICPR, Stockholm, Sweden (2014).

2. KM. Varadarajan, 'Quantum Hough Transform', International Conference on Computer Graphics and Vision – GraphiCon, Vladivostok, Russia (2013).

3. KM Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Compressive Distance Classifier Correlation Filter’, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing - ICIP, Melbourne, Australia (2013).

4. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, 'Spatial Structure Analysis for Autonomous Robotic Vision Systems', IEEE Workshop on Robot Vision - WoRV, Clearwater Beach, USA (2013).

5. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Semantic Saliency Using k-TR Theory of Visual Perception’, IEEE/IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition – ICPR, Tsukuba Science City, Japan (2012).

6. KM Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Holistic Visual Cognitive Recognizer using Part based Local, Global, Semantic and Affordance Features’, IEEE Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition –CVPR Workshop on Fine Grained Visual Categorization - FGVC, Colorado Springs, USA (2011).

7. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Cognitive Contour Grouping for 3D Structural Inference Engine’, International Conference on Advances in Signal & Image Processing – ASP, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2011).

8. K. Zhou, A. Richtsfeld, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Combining Plane Estimation with Shape Detection for Holistic Scene Understanding’, IEEE Advanced Concepts for Intelligent Vision Systems – ACIVS, Ghent, Belgium (2011).

9. K. Zhou, A. Richtsfeld, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Accurate Plane Estimation Within A Holistic Probabilistic Framework’, Austrian Association for Pattern Recognition -OAGM/AAPR Workshop, Graz, Austria (2011).

10. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, A. Richtsfeld, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘From Holistic Scene Understanding to Semantic Visual Perception’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation - ICRA Workshop on Semantic Perception, Mapping and Exploration – SPME, Shanghai, China (2011).

11. C. Raju, KM. Varadarajan, N. Krishnamurthi, S. Xu, I. Biederman, T. Kelly, ‘Cognitive Object Recognition System’, Perception, Unmanned Systems Technology, SPIE Defense Security and Sensing, Orlando, USA (2010).

Affordance and Semantic Ontologies for SLAM, Object Recognition and Manipulation (Vision-Language-Action)

1. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'Affordance and k-TR Augmented Alphabet based Neuro-Symbolic language: Af-kTRAANS—A Human-Robot Interaction meta-language', IEEE  International Conference on Methods and Models in Automation and Robotics -MMAR, Międzyzdroje, Poland (2015).

2. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'Activation Models for Biologically Grounded Visual Perception in Robotics', IEEE  International Conference on Methods and Models in Automation and Robotics -MMAR, Międzyzdroje, Poland (2015).

3. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Topological Mapping for Robot Navigation using Affordance Features’, IEEE International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications –ICARA, Queenstown, New Zealand (2015).

4. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'AfRob based Topological Mapping for Robot Navigation', IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics - ICAR (2013).

5. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘AfNet: The Affordance Network’, ACM Asian Conference on Computer Vision - ACCV, Daejeon, South Korea (2012).

6. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘AfRob: The Affordance Network Ontology for Robots’, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems – IROS, Vilamoura, Portugal (2012).

7. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Af-kTRAANS – The Language of Cognitive Robots’, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence - AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, AI and Robotics Multimedia Satellite Event, Toronto, Canada (2012).

8. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'k-TR Theory for Balance of Nature and Nurture in Robotic Perception', IEEE German Conference on Robotics -ROBOTIK, Munich, Germany (2012).

9. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Open Affordance Feature and Entity Definition Framework – AfNet’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation – ICRA Workshop on Workshop on Semantic Perception and Mapping for Knowledge-enabled Service Robotics – SPMK, Minnesota, USA (2012).

10. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Zillich, M. Vincze, ‘Web Mining Driven Semantic Scene Understanding and Object Localization’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics – ROBIO, Phuket, Thailand (2011).

11. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Ontological Knowledge Management Framework for Grasping and Manipulation’, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems – IROS Workshop on Knowledge Representation for Autonomous Robots, San Francisco, USA (2011).

12. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Knowledge Representation and Inference for Grasp Affordances’, International Conference on Computer Vision Systems – ICVS, Sophia Antipolis, France (2011).

13. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Affordance based Part Recognition for Grasping and Manipulation’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation - ICRA Workshop on Autonomous Grasping, Shanghai, China (2011).

14. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘A-fACToR - Affordance Schema for Symbolic Cognitive Architectures’, International Conference on Social Robotics – ICSR WIP, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2011).

Psychophysics and Neuroscience

1. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Electrophysiology of Affordances’, Neuromatch Conference 3.0 – NMC 3.0 (2020).

2. C. Pahl, KM. Varadarajan, 'Emotional Feedback for Service Robots using Hapto-Acoustic Interface', Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa and Robotics and Mechatronics International Conference - IEEE PRASA-RobMech, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (2015). 

3. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Affordances based k-TR Common Coding Pathways for Mirror and Anti-Mirror Neuron System Models’, International Conference on Cognitive Modeling – ICCM, Groningen, Netherlands (2015).

4. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Anti-Mirror Neuron System Model for Affordance based k-TR Common Coding Theory’, Conference of the International Society of Psychophysics – ISP, Freiburg, Germany (2013).

5. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Learning Surprise and Saliency Affinities for k-TR Semantic Affordance Aberrations’, International Conference on Philosophy, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science - Turing, Manila, Philippines (2012).

6. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Attention Mechanisms of the k-TR Model to Visual Perception’, Roverto Attention Workshop – RAW, Roverto, Italy (2011).

7. KM. Varadarajan, ‘k-TR: Karmic Tabula Rasa – A Theory of Visual Perception’, Conference of the International Society of Psychophysics - ISP, Herzliya, Israel (2011).

Vision for Fixed, Articulated and Mobile Robotics

1. KM. Varadarajan, E. Potapova, M. Vincze, ‘Attention Driven Grasping for Clearing a Heap of Objects’, IEEE/RSJ International Conference On Intelligent Robots And Systems – IROS, Vilamoura, Portugal (2012).

2. M. Vincze, KM. Varadarajan, EV. Potapova, D. Fischinger, 'Attention Driven Grasping for Emptying a Basket of Objects', International Conference on Cognitive Systems - CogSys, Vienna, Austria (2012).

3. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, 'Grasp Hypothesis Prioritization in Cluttered Environments', International Conference on Cognitive Systems - CogSys, Vienna, Austria (2012).

4. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Part Grasp Synthesis from Superquadrics based Parameterized Point Clouds’, IEEE International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications –ICARA, Wellington, New Zealand (2011).

5. KM. Varadarajan, I. Gupta, M. Vincze, ‘Grasp Hypothesis Generation for Parametric Object 3D Point Cloud Models’, IEEE International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence – URAI, Incheon, Korea (2011).

6. M. Vincze, W. Wohlkinger, S. Olufs, P. Einramhof, R. Schwarz, KM. Varadarajan, 'Object Detection and Classification for Domestic Robots', IEEE International ISoLA Workshop on Software Aspects of Robotics Systems, Vienna, Austria (2011).

7. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Mobility Aware Topology Control Framework for Dynamic Multi-Robot Networks’, IEEE International Conference on Methods and Models in Automation and Robotics – MMAR, Międzyzdroje, Poland (2011).

8. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Topology Control of Mobile Robot Networks for Optimal Coverage and Connectivity using Irregular Hexagonalization’, International Conference on Autonomic and Autonomous Systems – ICAS, Venice-Mestre, Italy (2011).

9. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Functional Room Detection and Modeling using Stereo Imagery in Domestic Environments’, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation - ICRA Workshop on Semantic Perception, Mapping and Exploration – SPME, Shanghai, China (2011).

10. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Recognition of Wall Surfaces from Monocular Imagery for SLAM Applications in Indoor Environments’, International Conference on Computer Science and Applied Computing - InterComp, Vienna, Austria (2011), Journal of Computer Science (2011).

Graphics and Augmented Virtuality

1. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Augmented Virtuality based Immersive Telepresence for Control of Mining Robots’, IEEE International Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics - ISCIII, Floriana, Malta (2011).

2. KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, ‘Teleoperation System for Mining Robots using Intelligent Visualization’, IEEE Conference on Graphics, Patterns and Images – SIBGRAPI Workshop on Interactive Graphics and Visualization for Industry-Driven Applied and Exploratory Research - WGARI, Maceió, Brazil (2011).

3. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Parametric Modeling of Trunk-Root Junctions using Astroidal Expansion Geometry’, International Conference On Computer Graphics Theory and Applications, GRAPP, Vilamoura, Portugal (2011).

Embedded Vision

1. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Efficient Serial Floating-Point Constant Divider Structure of the form 2P±1’, International Conference on Pervasive and Embedded Computing and Communication Systems – PECCS, Vilamoura, Portugal (2011).

2. KM. Varadarajan, M.Vincze, ‘Embedded Real-Time Panoramic Video Tracking System’, Vol. 2010, Junior Scientist Conference – JSC, Vienna, Austria (2010).

3. H. Wei, S. Zabuawala, KM. Varadarajan, J. Yadegar, D. Gray, J. McCalmont, J. Utt, ‘Adaptive Pattern-based Image Compression for Ultra-low Bandwidth Weapon Seeker Image Communication’, Applications of Image Processing, Visual Information Processing, SPIE Defense Security and Sensing, Orlando, USA (2009).

Traffic Surveillance/ Driver Behavior Modeling

1. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, F. Liu, ‘Hybridization of Appearance and Symmetry for Vehicle Logo Localization’, IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Conference – ITSC, Anchorage, USA (2012).

2. KM. Varadarajan, K. Zhou, M. Vincze, ‘Transport Psychology Based Cognitive Architecture for Traffic Behavior Prediction’, IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Conference – ITSC, Washington DC, USA (2011).

3. K. Zhou, KM. Varadarajan, M. Vincze, F. Liu, ‘Driving Behavior Inference from Traffic Surveillance Data’, IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Conference – ITSC, Washington DC, USA (2011).

4. KM. Varadarajan, K. Zhou, M. Vincze, ‘Mental State and Behavior Inference using Mirror Neuron System Architecture for Traffic/Driver Monitoring’, IEEE Intelligent Vehicles – IV, Baden-Baden, Germany (2011).

Machine Learning Architectures

1. J. Porway, C. Raju, KM. Varadarajan, H. Nguyen, J. Yadegar, ‘Incremental Knowledge Assimilation System (IKAS) for Mine Detection’, Underwater Optics and Imaging, Ocean Sensing and Monitoring, SPIE Defense Security and Sensing, Orlando, USA (2010).

2. C. Raju, KM. Varadarajan, A. Kothari, H. Nguyen, J. Yadegar, J. Mills, ‘Incremental Learning in Automatic Target Recognition’, Advanced Concepts/Algorithms in ATR, Automatic Target Recognition, SPIE Defense Security and Sensing, Orlando, USA (2009).

Psychoacoustics

1. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Modeling of a 'What You Hear Is What You Speak' (WYHIWYS) Device’, IEEE International Conference on Digital Signal Processing – DSP, Corfu, Greece (2011).

2. KM. Varadarajan, ‘What You Hear Is What You Speak (WYHIWYS) Device’, IEEE International Conference on Systems, Signals and Image Processing – IWSSIP, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011).

Representative Business/ Management Publications

1. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Modeling of Capital Market Stability Heat Map of the World using Wavelet based Financial Signal Processing’ International Conference on Business, Management and Economics – ICBME, Çeşme-İzmir, Turkey (2011).

2. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Research Project Management in the United States – Issues and Solutions: A Pseudo-Psychological Inquiry on Research Personnel Management’, IEEE International Technology Management Conference – ITMC, San Jose, USA (2011).

3. KM. Varadarajan, ‘Research Project Management in the United States – Issues and Solutions’ (journal version of above paper), International Journal of Advanced Economics and Business Management – IJAEBM (2011).

White Papers/ Work In Progress

1. ‘Structure Prediction for Kinect Range Refinement’

2. 'SQ-NNMF based 3D Object Instance Recognition from Kinect Data'

3. ‘Kinect Multi-View Depth Super Resolution’

4. ’15 DoF Tracking of Deformable Shapes using Continuous Superquadrics’

5. ‘Semantic Part Segmentation’

6. ‘Blur based Depth Pre-conditioner for Dense Tracking and Mapping on Mobile Phones’

7. ‘Inverse Heat Diffusion for Galaxy Clusters Image Processing and Age Determination’

8. 'Laplacian Diffusion and Riemannian Geodesic Optimization on Heat Risk Maps for Commodity Market Portfolio Management'

9. 'b-Splines Learning for Orbicular Script Recognition'

10. ‘Energy Minimization for Neuromorphic Recognition based on k-Tron Features’

11. ‘Learning Affordance Co-occurrences from Wearable Camera Data’

12. 'Workflow, Path Planning and Tool Usage Optimization using Affordance Sequencing for Industrial Robots'

13. ‘Affordance Sequencing for Task Representation’

14. ‘Waterfall-Islands Algorithm to Heap Sorting’

15. ‘Learning Object Articulation using 4D Mereotopogeometry for Robotic Manipulation’

16. ‘Electro-Optic Speed Gun’

17. ‘Odometry Refinement using a Block-Worlds Paradigm’